


Mrs. Cleary's Boarding House for Women

by DannyCreasy



Series: Miss Belivet and Miss Aird — Soft Kisses, Hard Times [1]
Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attraction, F/F, Great Depression, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Love at First Sight, Romance, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:34:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 60,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25986730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyCreasy/pseuds/DannyCreasy
Summary: Via pluck and ferocity, a scrappy orphan escapes horror to ultimately be "raised by a village" in  Depression-era Alabama. Therese Belivet finds love and purpose in a "Black Belt" farming community. In 1940, the high school graduate ventures to the sleepy port city of Mobile. Therese is thrilled to secure employment and lodging.At Mrs. Cleary's Boarding House for Women, Therese is drawn to a beautifully plain spinster. Therese finds Carol Aird's self-imposed shell hard to crack. As time passes, their city becomes a busy "wartown." Mobile's population grows twofold, as does Therese and Carol's passion for one another.
Relationships: Carol Aird & Therese Belivet, Carol Aird/Therese Belivet
Series: Miss Belivet and Miss Aird — Soft Kisses, Hard Times [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957024
Comments: 307
Kudos: 84





	1. Left Jab, Right Hook

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/iPkEidB)  
>   
>  The Mobile, Alabama train terminal of old

Jack Taft stepped off the GM&O passenger train at a quarter to five on Friday, December 4, 1942. The platform was crowded with scores of civilians, sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. Jack shuffled through the crowd and made his way into the massive Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal. After exiting the depot onto Beauregard Street, he was tempted to hail a cab but walking felt good after his two-hour train ride. He headed south at a quick pace. A train whistle caused him to glance back at the terminal. Bathed in the light of a sinking sun, the mission revival style structure had an otherworldly glow.

Jack’s mile-long walk passed quickly, and he was soon at the entrance of the Battle House Hotel on North Royal Street. A _Mobile Press-Register_ vendor was pushing his papers near the hotel’s entrance, so Jack purchased a copy, glanced at the headline, then folded the paper and slid it down into his big overcoat pocket. He had almost taken the coat off on his brisk walk, but it was breezy, and the temperature fell through the fifties quickly in the twilight.

Jack entered the Battle House’s sumptuous lobby and made his way to the bar. A glance into the restaurant caused him to double-take on a bobbed brunette seated across from a bespectacled, honey blonde. Jack could only see the back of the dark-haired woman’s head, but she seemed familiar.

“How ya doin’, Jack, the usual?”

“Make it a double, Stan.”

“What … ya in a hurry tonight?”

Jack chuckled and pulled his paper. He unfolded it and scanned the articles. The bourbon burned and pulled him into the weekend as it slid down his throat.

Jack couldn’t get the tilt of that perky brunette’s head out of his mind. “Stan, I gotta make a call… I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, Jack.”

Jack eased his way to the restaurant entrance and stared at the woman for a couple of seconds. “Therese, is that you?”

Therese Belivet snapped her head around at the sound of her name being called.

Jack laughed, “That is you … I thought, ‘I know that girl’!”

“Jack!”

“It’s been what, weeks?”

“Weeks.”

“You look great, Therese.”

“Thank you … Jack, this is Carol Aird.”

Jack extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Carol looked him in the eye and shook his hand. “Likewise.”

Jack turned back to Therese and asked, “Hey, a bunch of us are meeting up to go over to Phil’s party. You’re going, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes, but I was just—”

Carol cut her off, “You two run along.” She began to place her cigarette case and lighter back in her purse.

Therese caught the actions and somewhat disappointedly asked Carol, “Are you sure?”

“Of course … I’ve got to make some calls before dinner anyway.”

Therese hesitantly turned back to Jack, “Well, sure … I’d appreciate a ride.”

“Great!”

Carol slipped a bill under the waitress's check to cover their tea. She stood.

Therese watched her anxiously.

Carol stepped to Therese’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder. With a gentle squeeze, Carol said, “You two have a wonderful night.” Once again, Carol shook Jack’s hand, saying, “Nice to meet you, Jack.”

“Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

Therese despondently gazed to her front.

Jack patted her other shoulder and said, “I’ll go call and see where those goofballs are at.”

Therese stood and turned. She glanced about to see if Carol was still in sight. Carol was gone.

Later, in their crowded taxi, Therese feigned interest in the conversation while scanning the sidewalks hoping for a last glance of Carol Aird. At a stoplight, Therese watched a skinny adolescent girl trail behind a pair of boisterous boys. Illuminated by a streetlight, the girl’s eyes met Therese’s gaze. Their souls enjoined; Therese was thirteen again, and she was back in 1935.

Therese cringed, recalling her arrival at the foster home. She would never forget the 180-degree swing in Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s demeanors after the social worker departed. They wasted no time in having the thirteen-year-old memorize their “rules” and pledge her compliance. They showed her the club and strap they would employ if she broke any of the rules. Any optimistic hopes of a better life were dashed. Therese got a relentless bellyache when Mrs. Smith required she submit to a pelvic exam on the first night. Shocked that the woman had asked if she was still a virgin, Therese was dumbfounded when Mrs. Smith insisted on further probing the issue. The reason for this investigation soon surfaced.

Even at her young age, the savvy Therese knew that Mr. Smith would attempt sexual assault at some point. He was a creep. Why he didn’t try to take her right away did not become evident until later. Therese’s first few days consisted of fourteen-hour drudgeries of grueling, nasty domestic labor. She knew they came close to beating her at least twice for nonperformance but held off after simply brandishing the weapons.

On her first Saturday with the Smiths, the day went different. Mrs. Smith, in a bubbly voice, told her there would be no chores for the day. She had drawn a scented bath for Therese and carefully sponged Therese clean from head to toe. She styled Therese’s hair as one might do so to a doll’s hair. After a nicer than usual lunch, including coconut cake for dessert, Mrs. Smith presented her with a pretty white dress. After Therese put the new undies and dress on, Mrs. Smith handed her a couple of library books and told her to stay in her room and read.

Not that Therese was hungry after the substantial lunch, she did notice that Mrs. Smith never called her down for supper. Dusk came to the beautiful April day. Therese closed her window as the small Alabama town cooled. She heard a car pull up and went to the window to see a wide man in a suit walk to the front door. His big flat face canted up to leer at her.

Therese tallied the week. After the brutal weekdays, why was today so different. Why had they not hit her during the week? Why had Mr. Smith not come to paw and molest her? Why the obsession with Therese’s virginity? The sum total made her legs weak and her stomach turn. She glanced about the room for something to use as a weapon. There was nothing. In desperation, she grasped one of the books with her left hand and one of her shoes with her right.

Without knocking, Mrs. Smith entered, and in a sickly, charming voice, the woman chimed, “Therese, honey, it’s time you met one of our frien—” Mrs. Smith saw Therese backed in the corner with her book and shoe at the ready. “Oh, it’s gonna be that way, is it, missy?” Mrs. Smith backed out and locked the door.

Therese heard elevated voices. The stranger whined. Therese heard him holler something about “two hundred dollars.” The unmistakable sound of Mr. Smith stomping about was heard. Therese opened her window and was clawing at the screen when Mr. Smith entered. He was short and fat but strong and quick. He was on her before she could retrieve her weapons. The wiry little female spun free of his grips and dove for the door. She screamed. He had locked it and taken the key. She turned to find him pulling his belt from its loops.

He growled, “Look, girl, everybody pays their way in this world. You’re gonna sure as hell pay yours. I did not want you marked. Mr. Compton sure didn’t want you marked, but he just told me to do what I had to do to bring you to heel.”

Therese had seconds, but she had only two options: let an oaf rape her or fight. She saw the faces of her orphanage “big brothers,” Richard Semco, Danny McElroy, and Phil McElroy. They did not teach her how to box as a sport. They taught her how to end a fight or at least create an opportunity to flee.

Therese kicked off her other shoe aiming it at her assailant; it stunned him as it ricocheted off his forehead. His hands abandoned the task of belt removal and reflexively went to rub the impact point above his left eye. He cursed.

Therese exploited his pause by assuming a fighting stance. She imagined Richard standing before her, trying to make her angry and distracted while Dannie and Phil stood at her sides, yelling commands. Their coaching was raw, but after two real-world deployments, nary male or female hassled Therese Belivet. She readied her magazine: the jab, the cross, the hook, the uppercut, the slip, and the roll.

Mr. Smith’s hands shot back down to his belt. Rested and fed, Therese sprightly took two fighting hops towards him and right hooked his cheek. Taken by complete surprise, he lunged for her and swung a fat little fist at her head. She slipped the blow and delivered a combination jab and cross to his face. He collapsed to his knees. Therese’s sharp little knuckles were bleeding, but Mr. Smith’s eyebrow and lip were flowing red. The blood stung his eye and blinded him. As Mr. Smith tried to stand, Therese delivered a right cross, left jab, and right hook to put him down flat on his back. She stomped his crotch twice. He screamed in agony and rolled into a fetal ball.

Mrs. Smith was pounding on the bedroom door. Therese raced to the window and saw the ogre jogging to his car. Therese pulled her pillowcase then filled it with her orphanage clothes and a small quilt from the foot of her bed. She slipped on her worn but “sensible shoes” from the orphanage. Therese took a last glance at the writhing Mr. Smith and noticed a black leather wallet protruding from his rear pocket. Therese pulled it and added it to her bag. She lifted the big washbasin from its stand and shoved it through the stubborn window screen. Therese threw her sack to the yard; then, she climbed out the window. The creep’s taillights were disappearing in the distance. She scooted down the porch roof. Therese rolled to her belly at its edge and wrapped her legs around one of the porch pillars. After shimmying down the pillar, she hopped to the ground, retrieved her bag, and began to sprint.

Mrs. Smith must have perceived what was going on. She burst onto the porch with a double-barreled shotgun in hand. Therese had spotted her. The girl had planned to clear the upcoming ditch; now, she chose to leap down in it and race along its brambly floor. The witch fired anyway, and Therese heard the pellets whiz by above the ditch and far behind her.

Therese ran all night. She considered returning to the orphanage, but the train ride that delivered her to this hell took two hours. Besides, she knew the law would get involved. Therese imagined the Smiths concocting a woeful tale of assault and robbery by their deranged ward. No, Therese was on her own. She ran, trotted, and walked until first light. Therese came across an abandoned shack. She found a piece of string on its plank floor. The shrewd girl put little rocks and some rusty nails in an old tin can then connected it to the string. The trip cord at the shack’s entrance would hopefully give her a warning of an intruder.

She swept a corner free of trash and dirt and curled up on her side facing the door. Therese had long since changed out of the highly visible white frock to her plain, gray shirtwaist dress. She draped the quilt over her and made the rolled up pillowcase with the “virgin” dress inside her pillow. Therese awoke around noon. Hungry and thirsty, she retrieved the wallet and inventoried its contents. She would toss all but the cash in the first creek she crossed. The cash consisted of four singles, a five, and ten crisp new twenty-dollar bills; the would-be pedophile had paid in advance.

When Therese got the dress last Christmas, she had immediately sewed a little pocket on the inside to the front of her right hip. She put all but a dollar in the secret hide then put the dollar in her outside pocket. Cautiously departing her shelter, she made her way out of the old overgrown apple orchard surrounding the area. She came across a trickling brook, took several drinks then washed her face and hands. She shoved rocks down in Mr. Smith’s wallet and tossed it over into a deeper part of the branch, then watched it disappear in the green water. If she’d had a match, she would have burned the cursed dress but thought the better of it now and tore it into pieces she could use for washcloths, food wraps, ties, and the like. She immersed such a rag in the clear, fast-flowing water, then gently dabbed away at her lacerated knuckles. She removed the loose pieces of skin and repeatedly let her hands soak in the water. She wrapped clean, dry strips of fabric around her hands to bandage the wounds.

Therese’s stomach growled. It was too early in the year for the availability of any edible fruits or berries. The apples on the ground were rotten mush from the year before.

She flatly refused to walk on a road. A cop could be cruising around and spot her. Even if the Smiths chose not to involve the law, a sheriff’s deputy or cop would immediately be wary of a stranger and stop to question her. She would stick out like a sore thumb, a teenaged white girl kicking around on her lonesome in Alabama’s Black Belt.

She came across a train track and felt fortunate to find a freight train stopped for some reason. She crawled in the tall grass until she was twenty feet away. One of the boxcar’s doors had not fully closed. Therese darted to the door and squeezed through the one-foot opening. There was enough indirect light for her to see that it was full of machines. She hid behind one of the pieces of equipment. The train eventually started moving, and she traveled west until dark. The trained stopped for water. Therese had napped some on the train. Now she found a soft, dry patch of grass and slept under the stars. She shivered a bit under her blanket in the wee hours, but the hunger was worse than the cold.

The next morning, Therese paralleled the first road she came to. For most of the day, she shadowed it from the woods and high grassy fields to its side. She spotted a general store in the distance. She watched it for an hour, trying to come up with a story that might get her in with her dollar and out with some food. Late in the afternoon, it began to get busier. Her heart sank. She was about to bypass it and hope for safer sustenance down the road. A voice from behind startled her.

“Hey, ma’am … oh, sorry … we didn’t mean to scare ya none.”

The two dark-skinned children, a boy of about ten and a much younger little girl, stood gazing at her.

Therese tried to remain calm. “No, you didn’t scare me. I just didn’t hear you is all. My, y’all are quiet.”

“We haven’t ever seen you, ma’am … you new around here?”

“Well, yeah … sorta. Where are you two headed?”

“Momma sent us to the store for white flour and molasses.”

“What’re your names?”

“I’m Tommy, and this here is my sister, Tater.”

“Tater?”

“Well, that’s what everbuddy calls her … her real name is Carter Bell.”

“Well then, I like ‘Tater,’ too … Hey, I’ve got a proposition for you. They won’t let me in that store cause … well, you never mind why … I just can’t go into it. Anyway, see this dollar?”

They stared at the bill.

You can have whatever change is left out of it, after you take it in there and buy me a can of white beans, some matches, a can of peaches, a can of tomatoes, and four cherry soda pops. I’ll also give you two of the cold dranks when you get back.

Tommy asked, “How do you know we won’t keep your dollar and just run off?”

“I’ll just have to trust you. Besides, you look like honest kids to me.”

“Okay,” said Tommy as he took the dollar and headed for the store. Suddenly he stopped. “Ma’am, Tater’s little, and she might say something. Can she stay with you?”

“You trust me with your little sister?”

“I do. You seem like a good lady to me.”

“Okay, then. Tater, come sit by me, honey … be real quiet.”

A few anxious minutes later, Tommy returned with his mother’s flour sack full of groceries. Therese started to remove her items from the sack.

Tommy, wise beyond his years, surmised that Therese was on the run. He asked, “Ma’am, why don’t you come have supper with us and sleep in our barn tonight.

Therese took them up on the offer.

Their mother welcomed Therese and introduced her self as Lucy Liner.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Liner; my name is Therese Belivet.”

“Say what?” asked Lucy with a kind chuckle.

“Therese Belivet … I know it’s unusual.”

“That it is. Therese.”

Therese helped where she could and contributed her canned peaches to the meal for dessert.

Tommy told his mother of the transaction, and she recommended he return the change from Therese’s dollar, but Therese refused it and said, “A deal's a deal.”

Lucy made Therese a bed of multiple quilts and blankets by the fire.

Therese awoke to find Lucy working some dough for biscuits. Lucy took Therese’s little hand in her own leathery palm and examined the knuckles. “Who did you whup to get away, sweet girl?”

Therese poured out her life story to Lucy.

“So, you never knew your mama or daddy?”

“No, ma’am. I read some at the library last year, and the best I could find ‘Belivet’ is a Czech name … that’s a country in Europe.”

“Laws, child, I don’t know much about that kind of stuff. I can’t even read. Tommy reads me old papers and magazines sometimes. He’s a good reader.”

Lucy told Therese that she had lost her husband, Nate, to an accident in 1933. They owned their cabin and a few acres, several dozen chickens, a couple of milk cows, and a mule. She and the kids raised vegetables in their sizeable garden and sold them to make money.

Around eight, a deputy came by, and Therese hid in a corner near the front door. She heard the deputy say, “Lucy, I hate to do this, but the hospital in town said they have been more than patient on Nate’s hospital bill. They sued and got a judgment against his estate. If you can’t pay the remaining $79.89 today, the judge ordered me to take your mule and one of your cows to settle the account.”

“But, Deputy Green, you know I can’t work my garden without that mule, and we sell the milk and butter from the cows too.

Therese signaled for Tommy to come to her. His jaw dropped when she pulled up her skirt to expose the secret pocket. She counted out four twenties and handed them to Tommy, whispering, “Take these to your, mama.”

Tommy complied.

The law enforcement officer pulled the cash from the stunned Lucy’s grip then exclaimed, “Praise the Lord, Lucy. I don’t even know where this came from, and I don’t care. I just know I can leave you be. He fished eleven cents from his pocket, tore the judgment in half, and handed it all to her.”

Word traveled fast around the little black community about the white girl that saved the Liners. Therese found a family. She attended their little school, and whenever the white district superintendent dropped by to visit, Therese would scamper up the ladder to the school's attic and wait for the visitor to leave. Too many outsiders attended their church, so Therese stayed home on Sundays and worshiped with reflective walks in the woods in winter, and solitary skinny-dips at the creek in summer.

The teacher, Mrs. Wallace, was a grand soul. She challenged Therese with advanced materials over the years, and in turn, Therese helped her by drilling the little ones in their letters and math. Mrs. Wallace taught Therese to type on her sturdy Royal. Mrs. Wallace even managed to wrangle a diploma for Therese after she passed the Alabama Standard High School Proficiency Examination. Some tactful detective work by Mrs. Wallace found little evidence that Therese ever existed. The Smiths were nowhere to be found, and best of all, Therese Belivet had no outstanding warrants or any sign of a criminal record.

On January 25, 1940, Therese turned eighteen. She graduated in May of that same year. Flung out of space, the community had hidden and raised their little angel. Therese always gave more than she received, and she loved her friends and adopted family with all her heart.

Lucy worried about Therese’s lack of interest in the opposite sex but never questioned her “daughter” about it. She decided Therese was just shy, and she would find love when she was ready.

After graduation, a group of women, mothers of children tutored by Therese over the years, came to Lucy’s farm and presented Therese with gifts. One of the boxes contained a stylish business suit consisting of a skirt, blazer, blouse, and hat. The other contained a lovely casual dress. Lucy and Therese cried. Tommy and Tater clapped.

Mrs. Wallace helped Therese type a letter of application to a secretarial school in Mobile. Upon receiving notice of her acceptance, they quickly wrote a boarding house in Mobile and inquired about a room for Therese. After that was secured, Therese bid her family goodbye and left for a new life in Alabama’s only port city. 

As Therese boarded the train in Thomasville, Alabama, bound for Mobile, she patted the secret pocket sewed in her new dress. She still had five of the twenties. It was July 20, 1940, and it was "hotter'n blue blazes." 


	2. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/9bfARky)  
>  Mrs. Cleary's Boarding House for Women

Mrs. Blanche Cleary was a tall woman with salt and pepper strands done up in balanced twists. She had hawkish yet attractive features and kind, brown eyes. Now that the evening sun was on the backside of her property, she was watering the ferns on her boarding house’s front porch. She detected movement and glanced to see Therese ascending the big porch’s ten broad steps.

“Miss Belivet? I imagine.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yes, my dear, you have found 1110 Broad Street, and I’m the owner, Blanche Cleary.” She shifted the watering can and shook Therese’s hand. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, darlin’; your letter was lovely.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cleary … your house is lovely.”

“Did you have any trouble finding it?”

“No, ma’am. A porter at the station knew you and gave me perfect directions.”

“Mr. Robb?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“He’s a fine fellow … well, come on in, and I’ll give you the tour.”

They entered the foyer and found a uniformed domestic approaching.

Mrs. Cleary said, “Birdie, this is our new boarder, Therese Belivet.”

Francis “Birdie” Fuqua exclaimed, “Nice to meet you, Miss Bellivet … here, give me that little suitcase, and I’ll take it to your room.”

Therese hesitantly handed her the suitcase saying, “It’s nice to meet you … honestly, I don’t mind carrying it.”

“No, no… I got it. You go along with Mrs. Cleary, and it will be waiting for you when she finishes on the third floor at your room.”

“Okay, then … thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Mrs. Cleary led Therese the length of the foyer and into the big kitchen. “This is where Birdie, Daisy, and I prepare all of y’all’s meals. You’ll meet Daisy in the morning. She comes in before dawn and cooks and serves breakfast. Daisy leaves when Birdie comes in at one. Birdie and I do supper.”

Therese awed at the massive, fully stocked kitchen with its scrumptious smelling bubbling pots and radiating oven.

“Therese, your $25-a-month includes two squares a day. You’re on your own for lunch and any snacks. Only cold, dry foods are allowed in the rooms… and no hotplates or percolators. Oh, and a word of advice, darlin’, crumbly foods make a mess, and that just makes more work for you when you tidy your room. I look in on every room, every day, and I expect made beds and swept floors. Two warnings, then you’re out.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll be fine. I can tell a good girl when I meet one.”

They exited the kitchen back to the foyer, and Mrs. Cleary pointed out the big dining room to the right. “Therese, this is where all meals are served: breakfast at seven and supper at six. You must be dressed and groomed. Oh, if you ever want to skip a meal… like to sleep in on Saturday or Sunday, that’s fine… but honey, we serve the best meals in Mobile, and you will probably not want to miss any of ’em.

“Speaking of Sunday, your religion is your business. That’s between you and God. I have two Jewish boarders, and if that bothers you, I’ll refund your deposit and say goodbye.”

“No, not at all.”

“Good, I’m liking you more by the minute, hon.”

Therese noted the four tables, each with six chairs.

Mrs. Cleary caught the gaze then stepped over behind a middle chair at the closest table. “And this, Therese Belivet, is your chair. I think you’ll like the ladies at Miss Aird’s table.”

“I’m sure I will, Mrs. Cleary.”

“That’s the spirit, darlin’!” After a pause, she added, “We did serve lunch years ago, but most of my women can’t get away from their work or school for the noon meal, so I dropped it. To make up for that, I keep fresh fruit on a little table by the kitchen. You can help yourself to those anytime. Oh, that is … when it’s in season. And, darlin’, Sunday is the only day the meal schedule varies. Breakfast is at eight, and Sunday dinner is at one; cold cuts and sliced bread are available in the dining room between five and six on Sunday evening.”

Mrs. Cleary led Therese to the next room. “This is the sitting room, Therese. I must meet and approve any gentlemen callers … uh, do you expect any of those anytime soon, Therese.”

“No, ma’am.”

“Well then, I’ll save all that for another day … or just ask the women at your table about it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“There are plenty of cards and games for everyone’s use in that big cabinet.”

“That sounds fun.”

“It is … we have some good times, Therese.”

Therese followed Mrs. Cleary across the foot of the staircase to another large room on the house's north side.

“Therese, this is our parlor. I make sure the baby grand stays tuned. Mr. Cleary, God rest his soul, played very well. He always thought his greatest extravagance was this Steinway. I have quite the record collection for the Victrola; many boarders have left me albums upon their departure. The girls also have their own records, and they are welcome to play those. Oh, and in the closet are a cello, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, and violin. Sometimes we put together quite the impromptu concert. Do you play, dear?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Oh, well. More than one of my young ladies has learned an instrument from their fellow boarders.”

“Well, I doubt—”

“You doubt what, Miss New Girl?” asked a teasing voice from the foyer. “Hello, Mrs. C!”

“Oh, Abby, you scared the life out of me!” Mrs. Cleary patted her impressive bosom with one hand while grasping Therese’s forearm with the other. “Therese Belivet, meet Abby Gerhard. Abby works at ADDSCO as a secretary.”

Therese looked confused as she took the firm handshake of the Cracker Jack brunette.

Abby winked, “That’s the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company, sweetheart.”

“Oh.”

“Therese here aspires to be a secretary, Abby.”

“Oh, really … how many words can you type per minute, country girl?”

Without hesitation, Therese blurted, “Fifty.”

“Well, well! That’s good to know, Therese. Wow! Mrs. C, is she not the prettiest thing?”

“Yes, I thought the same when she walked up onto the porch … a natural beauty.”

“So, what kind of a name is Therese Belivet … no wait … tell us at supper. Hey, Mrs. C, she better be at our table.”

“She is, Miss Bossy.”

“Thank goodness, I’d hate for her to be at Cranell’s table.” Abby held a hand up to shield her lips from Mrs. Cleary’s view and mouthed, “Cranell’s a B.”

Therese blushed and giggled at the same time.

Abby chimed, “Oh, look at those dimples. I like you, girl.”

Mrs. Cleary’d had enough, “Oh, Abby, go to your room and get ready for supper.”

Abby winked again at Therese and then darted up the stairs singing, “Therese Belivet, lovin’ it, lovin’ it.”

Mrs. Cleary shook her head at the prancing Abby then said, “Come on, Therese. Let me show you your room. There are corridors on both the second and third floors with six rooms running down both sides. Unfortunately, for your legs, you are on third and next to last on the right.”

They took the nineteen steps to the second floor, then curved to take the fourteen steps to the third. “Of course, the rooms have lower ceilings than the first floor, so there are fewer steps between two and three.”

“I see. I did not realize how big the house is.”

“Yes, it’s deceiving from the street.”

They walked down the hot corridor to the next-to-last door on the right. Mrs. Cleary handed Therese a key. “Here’s your key, darlin’… don’t lose it. Go ahead, try it out, and unlock your door, Therese.”

Therese struggled a bit, then found the right angle, and the key turned. She opened her door. Her small, immaculate room wasn’t as hot as the corridor. Its big window was open, the curtains were pulled back, and through the screen, she heard the familiar hum of cicadas. A lovely breeze swirled in the room. Therese smiled at the sight of her suitcase at the foot of her bed. She walked to the window and gasped as she gazed over the big oaks and their Spanish moss to see all the way to the bay.

“Do you like it, Therese?”

Therese turned and spontaneously hugged her landlady, “I love it, Mrs. Cleary. Thank you for accepting my application.”

Taken off guard by the heartfelt display of emotion, the older lady cleared her throat and remarked, “Well, you’re most welcome. Thank you for choosing my home.”

Therese began to check out the drawers of her little dresser, and then she opened the petite closet’s door. “It’s perfect. Better than I ever imagined.”

“Well, the radio says there’s rain tonight, so I hope you’re not scared of thunder … way up here. But if you are, just come down to the sitting room and wait it out… you’ll have company.”

“Do you stay here, Mrs. Cleary?”

“Of course. Did you see the door under the first-floor stairwell?”

“I did.”

“That leads to my rooms on the northeast end.”

“Next to the kitchen and behind the parlor, then?”

“Correct.”

“Okay… well, I’m glad you’re here with us.”

“My, my … you are a sweet thing.”

Therese blushed again.

“Okay, darlin’, my women have started to filter in from their various endeavors. So, you freshen up for supper and be down sharp at six.”

“Yes, ma’am. I can’t wait.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. I have a laundry facility in the basement; that’s really the ground floor. You will be assigned a time slot. You can wash your clothes and hang them to dry in the back yard during your time slot. By the way, some of the girls hate doing laundry. There is a woman that comes twice a week. If you mark and bag your washables, she will wash, dry, and fold them for fifteen cents.”

“Well, I never …”

“Oh, and Birdie has put a towel, washcloth, and bar of soap in the bottom of your dresser. That’s yours for the week. Place the towel and washcloth out in the hall on Monday morning, and fresh ones will be in your room that afternoon. You’ll find fresh bed linens in that drawer as well. The same drill, strip your bed on Monday and put the linens in the hall; fresh ones will be in your room by three. Just out here, at the end of the hall, is a door facing the corridor. That is the bathing and restroom facility for your floor. Please leave it nicer than you found it, and you will never hear from me, but …”

“I understand, Mrs. Cleary.”

Therese unpacked, made her bed with the fresh linens, then grabbed her towels and soap. She stepped out of her room and covered the short distance to the communal bathroom. She was almost disappointed to find no one else inside. She was letting her dress air from the trip. Her mother had given her a terry cloth robe, and this was the first time she tried it out.

At five to six, there was a gentle knock at her door. She opened it to find a five-nine, smartly dressed woman. Her piercing blue eyes engaged Therese’s through round wire-rimmed glasses.

“Hello, I’m Carol Aird, your next-door neighbor.” Carol gestured to the end room next to Therese’s.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Aird; my name is Therese Belivet.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Therese … do you mind if I call you by your first name?”

“Not at all, Miss Aird.”

“The thirtyish woman directed, “Then you must call me Carol, Therese.”

“Yes, ‘Carol’ … okay.”

“Would you like to walk with me to supper?”

“Yes … yes, I would ... just a second.”

Therese checked herself one last time in her wall mounted mirror, then stepped out to join Carol in the hall and locked her door behind her.

“That’s a lovely dress, Therese.”

“Thank you, Carol. I like your suit.”

“Oh, the uniform.”

“Uniform?”

“I’m a teacher at the high school.”

“Really, any particular subject.”

“English, poetry, and literature.”

“Oh, my … that’s my three favorites.”

“That’s refreshing.”

“Are you not out for the summer at this time?”

“I am, but I’m working at the library over the summer. They have added a wing, and I’ve been employed to help them reorganize.”

“That must be a big job.”

“It is, but I’m glad to have the extra money … and it’s good to stay busy.”

“I agree.”

Carol smiled warmly at Therese.

On the second floor, they merged with Abby.

“Hello, Miss Gerhard,” greeted Therese.

Abby stopped and looked over her own shoulder.

Carol smirked.

Abby exclaimed, “Therese! For a second, I thought you saw my mother. Honey, I’m plain old, Abby.”

Carol noted, “Abby, there has never been and never will be anything plain or old about you.

“Aw, thanks, C … I see you met our new Therese. What has she told you about me, Therese? It’s lies I tell you, all lies.”

Carol rolled her eyes, “Abby, you won’t do. If you were one of my students—”

“What? You’d spank me?”

“Abby, behave,” scolded Carol, but Therese could see Carol was stifling laughter.

They entered the dining room, and Therese saw that others had entered. They all stood behind their chairs. Carol was across from Therese, and Abby was beside her. Everyone chatted as they awaited the arrival of the last few boarders and Mrs. Cleary.

Abby bubbled, “Therese, that’s Cindy Crockett next to you and across, on either side of Carol are Fore Jamison and Penelope Crider. Ladies, meet Therese Belivet.”

After Therese greeted the women, Penelope asked, “Where are you from, Miss Belivet?”

Therese was prepared, “I’m an orphan. After finishing high school just the other side of Thomasville, I’ve moved down here to attend secretarial school and seek employment.”

Mrs. Cleary had entered. She stood in the center and asked, “Who will return thanks tonight?”

“I will!” chimed a raven-haired charmer at the table catty-cornered from Therese’s.”

“Very well, Genevieve, proceed.”

Genevieve Cranell directed, “Let us pray. Our father, who art in heaven, we thank you for all the blessings you bestow upon us. We humbly ask that you bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies in service to thee. Amen.”

“Amen.”

“Thank you, Genevieve. Ladies, please join me in welcoming our newest boarder, Therese Belivet.” Everyone clapped for Therese.

She was embarrassed by the attention, but a smile from Carol gave her confidence.

“Any other announcements? None? Okay, then, enjoy your meal.”

Each table had a serving tray of pork tenderloins, a bowl of lima beans, a bowl of creamed corn, and a basket of rolls. The servers were too ponderous to pass around, so the volunteers filled plates as they passed by. Mrs. Cleary and Birdie brought around glasses of sweet tea and water, and later they delivered bowls of peach cobbler. Therese was so thankful that Mrs. Wallace had taught her proper table manners. 

Therese asked, “Doesn’t Mrs. Cleary eat with us?”

Penelope answered, “No, dear, she dines in her quarters afterward while Birdie does the dishes.”

Carol added, “And Birdie usually takes leftovers home for her family.”

“Oh, said Therese somewhat sadly.”

Abby asked, “Now, Therese, I asked earlier, what kind of name is Belivet?”

“It’s Czech, but I never met my parents, and I don’t know how an Eastern European baby girl came to be abandoned in Alabama.”

The others paused over the remark. Carol decided to move things along. “Therese Belivet! It’s lovely.”

On a seeming unheard command, supper was over, and the women began to stand. They took plates and bowls to the kitchen, then came back out, wiped the tables, swept the floor, and generally made everything the way before the meal. Everyone helped out without having to be told or urged. Carol and Abby introduced Therese to the other women.

Some returned to their rooms to read or rest, while others played cards or games in the sitting room or simply chatted. Carol went to the parlor, sat at the piano, and played “Clair de Lune.” Therese was drawn to the flawless notes and stood across the room listening. When the classical piece ended, Carol shocked Therese by jumping into the fast “Twelfth Street Rag,” followed by “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” and finally the slow romantic “Tell Me With Your Kisses.” All the women were in the parlor or foyer dancing or swaying by that time. A couple from upstairs even came back down. Carol consistently brought her gaze to Therese. Therese could not shift her sparkling green eyes from Carol’s blue stunners.

Abby moved next to Therese during “Tell Me With Your Kisses” and whispered, “You should feel honored, girl. She hardly ever plays for the group. This is her welcoming gift to you.”

Therese questioned what Abby said until she glanced back to Carol and found her broad smile and canted head.

After finishing, everyone clapped for Carol. The pianist stood, went to the kitchen door, grabbed a red apple, and quietly climbed the stairs to her room. Therese tried not to stare, but she observed Carol’s entire exit with subtle side-glances. Would Carol look back over her shoulder and down the stairs at Therese? Alas, no

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/jfqNAo0)   
> 


	3. A Hot Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/RfSWrwq)   
> 

Abby got Therese a twenty-hour a week typing position at ADDSCO. Therese’s school was from eight to noon each weekday. She would grab a sandwich or hotdog and take the trolley from her school to the docks. Her typing shift was from one to five. Both the classes and her work were demanding; she loved the challenges. Therese made friends at both facilities, but Mrs. Cleary’s women were fast becoming her sisters.

One hot August Saturday morning, Therese and a dozen of the boarders took the train to Cedar Point at the mouth of the Mobile Bay. They boarded a ferry and crossed the waters to Dauphin Island. On the island, they clambered up and over the snow-white dunes to find a quiet section of the beach. They played badminton, swam, and had a picnic. After lunch, Therese, Abby, and Penelope were working on a sandcastle.

Therese mentioned, “I wish Carol would have come along today.”

Abby responded, “I have never known her to swim in public. She is timid about things like swimsuits or even shorts.”

Penelope asked, “Oh, is that why she gets up so early to bathe or shower?”

Abby answered, “Yes, but believe me, she has nothing to be embarrassed about. One time she had the flu for a few days. She was as weak as a kitten. I helped her to bathe. I had to beg to let me help her. Anyway, she has a beautiful figure.”

Therese asked, “How long have you known her, Abby?”

“Since I moved here in 1938. She moved here two years before me.”

“Has she always been a teacher … I mean, since she became an adult?”

“Yes, well, after graduating from Auburn.”

“Auburn University? Gah-lee!” exclaimed Therese.

Penelope stated, “I never knew that. Geez, it just hit me that I know very little about our mysterious Carol. You know I have these pleasant conversations with her at mealtimes, and she probably knows my mother’s birthday, and here I do not even know if her folks are dead or alive.”

Abby reached over and patted Penelope’s shoulder. “Relax, P, Carol’s not trying to be sneaky or mean; she’s just timid about some things and reserved about others. That said, Carol can be amazingly bold and confident at times. One 4th of July, I saw her deliver a presentation to three hundred people. It was very well received, and she even inserted some humor.”

They all made it back to the boarding house safe and sound, then slept like the dead after all the sun, exercise, and fresh air. 

On Sunday morning, most of the women went to their various church services. Therese went down to play some records in the parlor. She spotted Carol in the sitting room reading a magazine. Therese assertively walked into the room and asked, “How are you this morning, Carol?”

“Good morning, Therese … I’m fine, and you?”

“I’m fine. Hey, before it gets too hot, would you like to take a walk with me?”

“I’d love to. Any place in particular.”

“No, just around this neighborhood.”

“Perfect.”

They walked south.

“We missed you on the beach trip yesterday.”

“You’re kind, Therese, but I wouldn’t have been the best of company. It’s just not something I enjoy.”

“Well, we missed you anyway.”

Changing the subject, Carol asked, “I saw you come in with new library books the other day. What are you reading at the moment?”

“Oh, no, you’d laugh.”

“I will not… tell me.”

“Mary Shelley’s _Frankenstein_.”

“I love it. You are a surprise, Therese.”

“I’m sure you’ve read it.”

“Several times … it’s one of my favorites.”

“Really.”

“I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy one, I will indulge the other.”

Therese laughed with joy at Carol’s quote, then she proclaimed, “Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded.”

“Very good, darling.”

Therese swam in the word ‘darling’ as she had never heard Carol use such an affectionate substitution.

They turned west at the corner, and Carol commented, “I like your slacks and blouse. Are they new?”

“Thank you, and yes, they are. I picked them up after work on Friday.”

“Pay day!”

“Yes, it was… that’s not being very frugal, is it?”

“Nonsense, did you need them?”

“Yes, I don’t have many clothes.”

“Well, there ya go, your outfit is practical yet attractive. You look so fine! Do not regret your wise purchase, Therese.”

Therese found herself staring at Carol. Carol turned and smiled at her. Therese felt flushed and looked away from the blue eyes.

Carol asked, “Well, Therese Belivet, have you found a fellow in Mobile as of yet?”

Caught off guard, Therese nervously laughed, “No, but I’ve not really been looking for one.” The boxer girl countered, “How about you, Carol?”

Carol shot a smirk at Therese and clarified, “What? A man? No.”

Therese mocked, “It’s just not something you’d enjoy?”

“My, my ... you saucy girl.”

Not backing off, Therese pressed, “Well?”

“Okay then, dear… I’ve never even been on a date. There! I just told you something I’ve never shared with another living soul.” After a pause, Carol asked humbly, “How did you do that? Please don’t tell anyone I told you that.”

“Oh, Carol, I would never … ever.”

Carol stopped and faced Therese. They exchanged long questioning glances. Carol, seemingly satisfied, turned and continued walking. Therese hesitated then caught up.

“Are you lonely, Carol?”

“Very … so lonely it hurts. Staying busy helps ... work, music, and reading.”

“My goodness, the girls adore you. Why don’t you ever reach out to them?”

“I don’t know, Therese. It’s just… other than Abby, they all seem so different from me, different wants and different dreams.”

“Why not Abby?”

“Therese, have you ever been attracted to a woman? Not as a friend … I mean romantically.”

Therese did not know what to say. Years of suppressed thoughts and words came to a boil in her mind.

Carol perceived the anguish. “Don’t answer, darling.” Carol had her answer. She noted, “Abby is like us, Therese. She and I actually came close to ... well … I just couldn’t. I was worried about what might happen .... if ... if we were found out.”

They turned north.

“Was Abby hurt?”

“Heart broken.”

Therese's heart ached for her friends.

“Abby moved on. She has a girlfriend in Bayou La Batre. She’s a young widow with a general store.”

“But I’ve heard her talk about men just like the others.”

“It’s an act, Therese… one she has honed to perfection. It works for her. She can even flirt with men and not anger them. I don’t see how she does it.”

“My, my … one would never know.”

“No boyfriends ever, Therese?”

“None. I will say that there were three older boys at the orphanage that I loved like brothers. They protected me and taught me things. I haven’t seen them in years. I often wonder what became of them.”

“Years? I thought you just came here from the orphanage.”

“Actually, that’s not true, Carol.” Therese proceeded to share the story of her life with Carol. It took a while. She finished after they had returned from the walk and sat down in two of Mrs. Cleary’s wicker, front porch chairs.

At one point, Carol pulled a handkerchief from her trouser pocket and dabbed tears from her eyes. After Therese finished, Carol said, “Thank you for being so open with me, Therese. I hate that you were faced with such… uh, situations. No, dammit, horrors. You are an amazing young woman to overcome all that. And to find such jewels as your Lucy and Mrs. Wallace! I’d love to meet them someday.”

The smells from the kitchen began to drift through the front porch screens. Both women laughed as they caught themselves sighing at the fragrances of frying chicken, baking bread, and boiling potatoes. Their well-attired friends began to filter in from the various church services.

Abby came and plopped down in the porch swing between Carol and Therese’s facing chairs. She glanced at them, then asked, “What’s up? Something is different. You two look way too … uhh, satisfied?”

Carol shook her off, “Oh, Abby, we are just enjoying a lovely Sunday morning.”

“Oh, really, what did you do? Just sit here?”

“No, we took a walk.”

“Oh, well, that’s nice … Mr. Fire and Brimstone, at the First Baptist Church, decried the sin of a lustful heart. Can you imagine such?” She rolled her eyes.

The three of them burst into laughter. Abby got her laugh and was satisfied for the moment. She moved on to the kitchen.

Carol proposed, “Therese, after dinner, let’s catch the matinee at the Pike.”

“Oh, yes! Aren’t they showing _Pride and Prejudice_?”

“They are … at 2:30.”

Therese chimed, “It’s a date.”

She caught the slip as soon as it left her lips. She glanced down, blushing.

Carol suggested, “Let’s ask A and P if they’d like to go with us.”

“Oh, that would be a hoot.”

The sun was still high and hot when the four women exited the Pike at half-past five. They blinked and shielded their eyes for the seconds it took to adjust to the light.

Penelope said, “No eateries will be open. We best hurry to catch the sandwich fixings at Mrs. C’s.”

The women scurried to catch a streetcar. There were several open seats. They each took one of the benches meant for two.

Abby commented, “Dang! I loved the movie, but that newsreel was scary. I can certainly see why we are getting those ship orders from Jolly Old England, huh, Therese?”

Carol noted, “Yes, the Brits are standing alone against Hitler and Mussolini.”

Therese wondered, “Do y’all think we’ll get in this war?”

No one answered her, but Therese understood why.

They made it in time to assemble sandwiches and found a special treat, fresh lemonade.

Eight tail-end-Charlies all crowded around one table. The others asked about the four’s movie. Abby started giving a blow-by-blow rundown, but Cindy Crockett blurted, “Don’t give away the ending!”

Carol commented, “Why not? Surely, you’ve all read the book.”

Cindy and Fore shook their heads.

“Oh, my. Shame on you and your English teachers.”

“Therese and Abby laughed, but Carol found it more sad than funny.”

Therese and Carol went back out on the porch and talked until darkness and mosquitos ran them in. Carol was falling for this girl with an old soul. Therese was way past that.

Therese asked, “Do you want to talk some more in here?” She gestured at the busy sitting room.

“No, teachers report at a quarter to seven in the morning.”

“Oh, schools starting back … I forgot all about that.”

“Yes, the kids won’t be arriving until Thursday, but we have much to do.”

“I can imagine.”

As badly as Therese wanted to walk with Carol up to their respective rooms, she considered appearances. They had already pushed their together time for the day. Therese bid Carol goodnight and went to watch a group playing Monopoly. Her mind was not on the cackling moguls, but rather, Carol’s lips. She imagined kissing them. A fire smoldered in her core.

Therese went up with sweet fatigue at nine; like Carol, the next day would start soon enough. As she wiggled the worn key in the lock to her room number 22, Carol’s door, number 24, opened slightly. Carol stood with her finger on her lips. Carol motioned for Therese to come to her. Therese stepped into Carol's room without hesitation.

Carol closed the door and pressed Therese’s back to the wall. Therese did not resist. The kiss that followed was electric. Therese tingled all over.

After a luxuriant moment, Carol broke and pulled back. Breathing heavily, her eyes were locked on Therese’s. “We must tread carefully, darling.”

Therese could only manage a nod. She felt like her heart was going to explode. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Carol, pulling the teacher in for another kiss. Their tongues found one another’s and shocked them both. They chuckled with delight then reengaged. Carol's hands explored Therese’s back and hips. Therese’s hands swam in small circles on Carol’s neck and shoulder blades as she pulled her lover in hard and tight.

Their lovely smooch went on for minutes. As on cue, a long final kiss stopped. Their foreheads parked on each other’s as they panted with their faces tilting down.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow evening, love. I’ll be gone before you come down to breakfast.”

“I could come down early and—”

“No, you can’t.”

“I know ... I’m sorry.”

“Shh … don’t you apologize. It was a precious thought. We just can't be that obvious.”

Therese slowly spun out of Carol’s arms and grasped the doorknob.

“No, let me check the hall first,” urged Carol. Carol cracked the door and peered up and down the corridor. “It’s all clear, go ahead.”

Therese slipped out and unlocked and opened her door in a daze. She floated to her bed and collapsed in a dreamy state of ecstasy. 


	4. A Hotter Monday

As Therese entered the typing pool on Monday afternoon, her supervisor, Mrs. Reynolds, approached her. “Miss Belivet, Mr. Crump wants to meet with you in his office.

“Now?”

“Yes, do you know where his office is?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then hurry along, dear; it’s urgent.”

Therese now wished she had not snarfed down that hamburger from the lunch stand at the gate. She wondered if she had broken some rule or made a critical typing mistake on one of the dozens of letters or forms she typed each afternoon. She pressed her tummy to ease the butterflies. Therese was glad she had Smokey Joe hold the onions. She quickly chewed one of the mints from her purse.

At her manager’s door, she took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and knocked.

“Come in.”

Therese opened the door to find not just Mr. Crump but also a slender, six-foot gentleman stylishly dressed in a tropical weight tan suit.

“Hello, Miss Belivet, thanks for being so prompt … as usual … Con, I told you she was the best … always tastefully dressed and on time, and her work is exceptional.”

The gentleman nodded while he gazed into Therese’s eyes.

“Close the door, Miss Belivet,” directed Mr. Crump.

Therese turned to ease the door to. She was relieved that she was obviously not in trouble, but she was more mystified than ever.

“Miss Belivet, this is Connor Slate.”

Mr. Slate extended his hand, and Therese grasped it. “Nice to meet you, sir.” His hand was strong but non-calloused and dry.

“The pleasure is mine, Miss Belivet,” said Mr. Slate with a perfect smile.

“Have a seat, Miss Belivet.” Mr. Crump gestured to a chair in front of his tidy desk.

Therese sat, and so did Mr.Crump, but Mr. Slate perched on the far edge of the desk with one leg dangling casually and the other’s foot on the floor. He slightly leaned towards Therese as if to engage yet ever so slightly intimidate her. It was working.

Mr. Crump nervously coughed, then said, “Miss Belivet, when will you finish your secretarial school?”

“October 11th.”

“Excellent, and I take it your grades are satisfactory to this point?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must say, I’m not surprised … probably the best of marks. I hope you are considering staying on with us full time after October 11th.”

Therese blushed a bit and glanced away, “Well, of course, I would love to.”

“Mr. Slate is with the federal government, Miss Belivet. He has a few questions for you.” He turned to Mr. Slate and asked, “Con, if you have nothing else for me, I’ll leave you two to talk.” He stood and smiled jovially at Therese, then exited the room closing the door behind him.

Mr. Slate left his perch and took the other chair next to Therese’s, but not before turning it to angle towards her. “May I call you Therese, Miss Belivet?”

“Certainly.”

“Well, Therese, I’m actually ‘Special Agent Connor Slate’ with the FBI.”

“As in the Federal Bureau of Investigation?”

“One and the same, Therese. Now, I want to state right off the bat that you are not in any trouble.”

Therese nodded numbly.

“With the clouds of war looming on the horizon, critical industries like ADDSCO are especially vulnerable to foreign agents. We are screening all of the employees that access files and the like. Your record caught our attention because it was so clean. As a matter of fact, it’s too clean, almost non-existent.”

Therese clenched her hands in her lap.

I myself went to your rural school and talked to Mrs. Wallace. She and Miss Lucy were candid with me about your past, Therese. What a bumpy road you’ve traveled, girl." He paused, then chuckled, "Mrs. Roosevelt would find it interesting that you have singlehandedly integrated the Alabama school system. By the way, I did a little deeper digging on my own. You might be pleased to know that the Smiths were investigated later for child molestation and are doing ten to twenty in the state pen. The inmates frown on that sort of thing. I doubt if the couple will survive their sentences. 

A tear snuck from Therese’s eye. Mr. Slate drew his handkerchief and handed it to her. She sniffled a bit, dabbed her nose, then asked, “All that’s good to know, Mr. Slate, but—”

“What next?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re vague past fit the profile of a spy, Therese.”

“A spy?”

“Yes, but now that we know you aren’t one, we can certainly use your help.”

“How?”

“Therese, none of this can ever be shared with anyone else.”

“I understand.”

“We have reason to believe that a German operative may be trying to gain employment at your company via a path identical to your own legitimate pursuits.”

Therese pondered a moment then asked, “What … through my school and part-time employment.”

“Exactly … that’s how we came across you.”

“My goodness!”

“Yes. If you would like to help us out and earn an extra $50 a month, Mr. Crump has been gracious enough to lend you to us for the rest of this week. Instead of coming here after school, you will report to a business front we maintain downtown. Dr. Janet Sinclair from Washington will train you in the fine points of uncovering a spy.”

“I see. Did you say $50?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And I’ll be helping my country and my company?”

“Absolutely.”

“I’ll do it.”

“That’s grand, Therese.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, “Won’t the spy miss me for the rest of the week here in the pool?”

“Very good, young lady. Mr. Crump was right about you.”

Therese grinned.

“Mr. Crump will put out the word that you are typing some special reports in the design wing for the rest of the week. We’ll make sure you’re clocked in and out each afternoon at the gate just like you were here.”

“Wait a minute, I’ll be paid for not being here?”

“Sure thing, Therese. Hey, you wouldn’t believe how clever these people are, and we fear they may already have their agents on the payroll in other departments.”

“That’s horrible, Mr. Slate.”

It is, Therese, and please call me ‘Con.’ 

Okay then, Con, what’s next?”

*****

Therese left on cloud nine at five that evening. There were no empty seats on the trolley, but she didn’t mind. She clutched the safety poll on the streetcar’s steps tightly as they hummed along the still sunny streets of the Azalea City. She hated that she could never share any of this exciting new adventure with her new love, Carol Aird.

And, what of Carol? Remembering the soft kisses from the night before, forbidden, yet just so right, made her yearn for more. At that moment, she could have gobbled Carol up like one of the delicate cream-filled Éclairs from the ancient bakery on St. Francis. Therese shook with the ripple that shot through her like a tremor. 

At supper, Carol made love to Therese with darting glances and one-second-long smiles. After the tables were cleared. A secreted wink from Carol lured Therese to the parlor where Carol sat and played Debussy’s Reverie. Therese knew Carol was playing to her, for her, yet Carol never looked her way. No, that would be too brash, unwise. Before Carol bid everyone goodnight at nine and departed, she passed Therese a note. Therese subtly checked it later and read “11” centered on the tiny square of paper.

At eleven on the dot, Therese slipped to Carol’s door in her bathrobe.

Carol was waiting and pulled her in. Carol was wearing an elegant kimono. Therese felt like she was about to explode. They stood facing one another and holding hands. The stately teacher quietly giggled like a schoolgirl, “Do you know how to go about this?”

Therese closed her eyes to suppress a laugh. She loved it. This would indeed be both of their first times. Carol had turned on a tiny lamp giving the room a dim glow. Therese noticed the bed was turned down. She released Carol’s hands and untied her own robe to let it alluringly open. Carol did the same, then pushed Therese’s robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Therese quivered as she grasped the silk of Carol’s gown; its removal revealed a breathtaking figure. Carol took Therese’s hand and walked her to the bed, pulling her down into her arms. Even at the late hour, it was still hot in the Gulf Coast city, and the roar of a million insects cascaded through Carol’s window screen.

Their tension was high. Their kiss was stiff and awkward. They paused and held each other for a moment until their breathing and hearts slowed. Ah, there it was, that heavenly kiss from the night before. Their naked breasts pressed and massaged, smooth and firm. The open-mouthed kisses were dizzying, with the pair’s tongues wrapping around each other’s or diving deep to explore the delicious spaces.

Their hands seemed to find the magic between their legs simultaneously.

Carol gasped, “Oh, my God! That feels … so … good.”

Therese only managed, “Uh-huh!”

With years of suppressed passion pent in her loins, Carol came quickly and hard. She had to pull her fingers from Therese’s wetness and drive her fingernails into the girl’s flesh to withstand the rolling orgasm. She panted a moment to catch her breath, then went with her instinct and the Kama Sutra to see if she could orally please her young lover.

Therese was taken by surprise, but the soft mouth at her apex was soon taking her to another world, one of wondrous sensations and crashing climaxes. She ran her fingers through Carol’s hair and caressed the back of her head and neck as her lover went about her work, the beautiful task of making love.

It was almost one when Therese returned to her room. Their parting kiss would rest on her lips until she passed into sleep.


	5. Spy Craft

On Tuesday at five to one, Therese found the address given to her by Con. She passed through the dingy entrance and up a narrow staircase to find a single frosted glass door. Only the street number adorned the door, 2469. Therese knocked. She heard the shuffle of a chair and footsteps.

A striking brunette opened the door. The woman could have been Carol’s dark-haired doppelgänger. With the slightest of a foreign accent, the woman asked, “Hello, may I help you?”

“Dr. Sinclair?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Therese Belivet.”

“Ah, yes, Miss Belivet.” She extended her hand, saying, “Janice Sinclair.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Janet nodded, “Come in, darling. First, we have much to do and little time to do it. I’m Janice, and you’re Therese.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Follow me to the back. I have set up our training room. I pressed Con to provide a window fan. This tropical heat is insufferable.”

Therese could hear the hum and feel the breeze of the fan as she stepped into the hallway.

The room had a blackboard, a desk, and two chairs. On the table were a tape recorder, a typewriter, pencils, pens, and a stenographer’s tablet. A small table in the corner supported a pitcher of ice water and two glasses. The little table also had a single place setting: plate, cup, saucer, knife, fork, and spoon.

“Water, my dear?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Janice filled two glasses from the tinkling pitcher.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Therese drank. The icy waterfall flowed to her empty stomach and bottomed out with an invigorating rush; she had been too nervous for lunch.

“Con said you were ‘pretty’… such an understatement.”

Therese shifted her eyes to the spinning fan and took another sip.

“You may detect a bit of the Continent in my voice. I was born and raised in Germany. My father was a professor in Heidelberg. My mother died when I was ten. I attended university at Oxford. I graduated in 1932. I had applied to work on an advanced degree, but my father scooped me up on his way to a position at Harvard. I received my Ph.D. in languages from Radcliff in 1937.”

Janice filled her own glass and drank half of it down. “Do you have any questions, Therese?”

“I’m a clean slate, Janice.”

“Superb … let us begin.”

*****

The four afternoons clipped by in a flash, as did the steamy nights in Carol’s arms.

Janet taught Therese how to listen for English that was “too good” or forced and take note of such gestures as the American habit of holding up three fingers to indicate three-in-number compared to the contrasting German mannerism of holding up a thumb and two fingers. If counting by the hand, Germans start to count with the thumb.

Each night, Carol and Therese made love until they collapsed. Wringing wet with sweat, they whispered and cooed into the wee hours, slowly drying in the night breeze.

Before this week, Therese knew little about Carol’s past. Abby once said, “Carol comes from old money, haven’t you ever noticed how she says, “Awbun?”

One night, Carol spoke of her family. She was the only child of pair of cold academics. They lost their life savings and home in the Crash and sent her to live with a harsh aunt in Atlanta. The aunt had money, but she treated Carol more like an indentured servant than a niece. Carol worked as a waitress to earn her teaching degree from Auburn. Never a flirt, her tips from the cads suffered accordingly, but she gathered a respectful clientele that appreciated her excellent service and genuine concern for their wellbeing. She said one of the proudest moments of her life was when she graduated, and after tendering her notice at the Plainsman, the customers had passed the hat for a few days and gifted her $117.58.

In 1938, her mother died of tuberculosis, and her father committed suicide with the German Luger he brought home from the trenches in 1918.

Their melancholy scared her. She fought the inherited demons every day. Carol had never felt so strong as she did now with Therese in her life and her bed.

Labor Day came. Both of their schools and work were closed for the Monday holiday. Leaving at different times on Saturday morning, the lovers rendezvoused on a northbound train. Carol’s best teacher-friend had offered Carol her lake cabin for the three-day weekend; she and her husband were stuck entertaining relatives in Mobile. Carol took them up on the offer, and with key and directions in-hand, Therese and Carol made their way to the isolated getaway.

They swam in the freshwater and sunned on the cabin’s plank board pier. At night they drank too much wine and liquor but could never make too much love. Sixty-nine was quite the find. A full moon illuminated their midnight swim on Saturday night. They sprinted back to the cabin after something slimy touched Carol’s foot; it was down deep where the water turned cold. Therese checked Carol’s extremities for bites, but all the while, she could not stop laughing at her terrified lady.

Therese and Carol returned to Mobile on Monday. They were a little sunburned but happier than either had ever been in their entire lives. On Sunday night, Carol told Therese that she loved her and never wanted to be without her. Therese pledged, “I love you, Carol, and I will love you forever and ever.”

*****

Therese’s return to the typing pool was normal enough, with nary a clue gathered for weeks. She stayed observant at school as well. Therese was one of three that both attended the school and worked at ADDSCO in the pool. The weeks passed by, and Therese frustratingly had little to report to Con. As instructed, she wrote him a letter each Friday and dropped it in the ADDSCO interoffice mailbox labeled “Joseph Periwinkle.”

Her last week of school was accompanied by the first cooler days in Mobile. Highs in the low 80s were a treat; the nights were lovely at 50 or so. On that Tuesday, Therese was seated at breakfast, and one of Abby’s friends from another table had joined them. Carol had early duty at the high school, leaving her chair empty. Joyce Monroe worked at ADDSCO in Abby’s section. They were both secretaries for two different project managers. Therese had never spent much time with Joyce.

In a surreal moment, Therese noticed Joyce eating her sausage and eggs Continental style with her fork in her left hand.

Therese heard Janet in her mind, _Very good, Therese, watch carefully._

With the prongs facing down, Joyce smoothly speared a bit of sausage then used her knife to push some eggs up on the back of her fork. Therese forced herself to look away as Joyce’s bite traveled to her mouth. A few bites later and Joyce was eating in the American manner with her fork in her right hand.

_She caught her lapse, Therese, and corrected it. Trust your instincts, my dear, and don’t dismiss the significance of what you witnessed._

Therese stayed calm on the exterior, but she was a tempest on the inside. In her room, she rushed to get ready for school, then departed and walked to the payphone near her bus stop. She was glad that Abby and Joyce took the trolley at the other end of the street. Therese’s coin clinked down into the phone. For the first time ever, she dialed the emergency number Con had made her memorize on day one.

A woman answered, “Southern and Bain, may I help you?”

“May I speak to Mr. Bain?”

After a pause, the voice on the other end said, “He’s on another line. Can I have him call you back, ma’am?”

“Yes, the number at this payphone is Garner 9505.”

“That’s Garner 9505?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Bain will call you right back, ma’am.”

“Thank you.” Therese hung the phone up and waited. She glanced at her watch. The bus would not be by for another ten minutes.

It rang. Therese snatched the receiver and answered, “Therese Belivet speaking.”

“Hello, Therese, this is Con. Are you alone?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Whatcha got?”

“This may be nothing, and the woman I’m concerned with is not in my school … she’s not even in my typing pool.”

“Really? Well, tell me about her.”

“Her name is Joyce Monroe, and she boards at Mrs. Cleary’s with us. She has been in Mobile for at least a year and a half, and she works as a secretary for Mr. Lewis. He is the project manager on one of the British freighters. They laid down the keel last month.”

“I see. Now, what has caught your attention?”

“This morning at breakfast. She was eating Continental style. After a few bites, she shifted back to American.”

“Excellent, Therese. Does she have any history abroad?"

"No, as a matter of fact, she really plays up this Texas cowgirl thing.”

“Hmm … wait, do you still have to catch a bus for school?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is your bus insight?”

“Not yet.”

“I don’t want you to be late. One last question, and I’ll let you go. Do you know her room number?”

“I don’t, but it is a couple down from my friend Abby’s on second; it would be five or six.”

“Excellent. Listen up, don’t stop looking for other possibilities, but lay low and be careful. I’ll be in touch.”

“Will do, sir.”

“Good girl. Now you go catch your bus.”

“Yes, sir. Goodbye.”

“Bye, bye.”

*****

It was a stressful week for Therese. With a possible Nazi spy on the line, she had to pass her correspondence, typing, and shorthand finals, plus assuage a girlfriend who knew something weighed heavy on her sweetheart. On Thursday evening at half-past five, Con and three other Special Agents identified themselves to Mrs. Cleary. They presented her with a federal warrant to inspect the quarters of one Joyce Monroe. Therese happened to be in the sitting room when they arrived. Con never made eye contact with Therese. They came down a half-hour later with Joyce handcuffed to one of the agents. Joyce was as white as a sheet. Therese almost felt sorry for her. The other two agents carried Joyce’s luggage and a cardboard box with her possessions in it. Joyce’s room, #5, was sealed until further notice.

Therese felt the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders. She had asked for and received Friday afternoon off from work. There was to be a graduation luncheon and ceremony following the final classes of the morning. Therese could invite three guests. She invited Carol, Abby, and Mr. Crump. He gladly accepted and made sure Abby’s boss would give her the time off, then insisted on driving Abby to the event. Carol got a sub and made it with time to spare. The school had a caterer serve Chicken Cordon Bleu, asparagus, rolls, iced tea, and a congealed salad. A large congratulatory cake with white frosting and blue writing was cut and served for dessert. Therese’s guests clapped enthusiastically for her when they called “Therese Belivet” from the podium. She proudly walked up and received her certificate of completion.

A vase of mixed cut flowers were delivered to Therese with the card signed, “Congratulations and thanks, from your friends at Southern and Bain.”

Mr. Crump winked at her.

Carol and Abby asked, “Who?”

Therese shrugged, “Oh, I did some special typing for them on the side.”

Mr. Crump insisted on driving them to the Battle House Hotel bar for cocktails. He carried Therese’s flowers in and set them on their table. They smelled lovely. After a couple of martinis and great conversation, he dropped them back at the boarding house around four. Therese went to her room, stripped to her panties, and sprawled out flat on her bed. She fell sound asleep. Carol and Abby made sure no one bothered her at suppertime. Therese had earned a good long nap.


	6. "War Footing"

On the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving, Mrs. Cleary’s boarders found notes under their doors. Mrs. Cleary was calling an “all hands on deck” meeting for that afternoon at three. The women were all present in the dining room by five-till. Mrs. Cleary, Birdie, and Daisy entered the room with serious expressions.

Mrs. Cleary spoke, “Ladies, thank you for taking the time from your cherished Sunday afternoon to meet with us. As you can see, I’ve asked Birdie and Daisy to join us. The subject I must discuss with you affects us all.

“Mr. Stanley Clark of the Mobile Housing Authority came to see me last week. At first, I was quite put out with him and the city, but I came to embrace their request after considerable contemplation.

“As you all know, newly hired doc workers, welders, secretaries, and clerks are pouring into Mobile. There is a critical housing shortage. Ladies, I have a dozen women on the waiting list at this very moment. They are good, clean, hardworking gals desperately in need of housing. Here’s the short and skinny of it. Mr. Clark has asked us to consider changing to boarding two women in each room.”

The room alit with chatter and alarm.

“Now, now, ladies, hear me out. I have been holding off on increasing the amount of your room and board. Food prices and the cost of utilities have been going up, and my property taxes as well. I was going to start with a five-dollar increase—”

Fore exclaimed, “That’s $30 a month, Mrs. C!”

“I know, Fore, but I’ve no choice. Well, that is until after Mr. Clark’s visit. Everyone hushes a moment and listen. If you girls can work out doubling up amongst yourselves, your individual monthly payment will actually decline to $20 a month.”

Genevieve asked, “I see the logic, but why not $15, Mrs. C?”

I considered that, dear, but my base costs will increase greatly with forty-eight women in the house. Frankly, I don’t even know how much until we try it. And I must point out that Birdie and Daisy can’t handle that level of traffic without help. Birdie’s daughter, Belle, and Daisy’s cousin, Liz, will be coming on board to help their respective shifts.

“Oh, if not already, some of you will soon be concerned about overcrowding in our bathrooms. Mr. Clark says I will be eligible for federal funds to help with expansion and improvements. I’m having an architect come by tomorrow and explore options to remodel the present bathrooms and even add a separate structure for such… with an adjoining hallway, of course.”

The room was abuzz again, and Mrs. Cleary looked stressed, almost to the point of tears. She glanced at Birdie and Daisy, shaking her head. Birdie walked to her and put a supportive arm around her.

Carol stood, and in her finely honed teacher-voice boomed, “Look you, sillies! We have no choice. We may not have declared war on any foreign power as of yet, but let me assure you, this nation is at war. As an industrial power and bastion of democracy, the United States of America is on a war footing. I know the ones here who work for ADDSCO can’t discuss such things, but any of you loons can see for yourself the number of ships laid down around the bay. I’ll step up. Hey, Therese, you seem to be a quiet type like me; how about being my roomie?”

Therese fought to keep her jaw from dropping. She swallowed hard, then nodded, “Sure, Carol.” There was silence in the room. Therese followed with, “Uh, I mean … I already live next door to you anyway, and you must not snore, or I would have heard you by now. The walls are quite thin.”

Abby and Penelope started laughing, and soon the whole room had joined in the mirth.

Mrs. Cleary walked quickly to Therese and hugged her. Then she reached out and pulled Carol in to join them. Therese found her nose inches away from Carol's. She gave her love a “shit-eating grin.”


	7. Changes and Challenges

Early on Thanksgiving morning, Carol and Therese took the train to Thomasville. Mrs. Wallace was waiting at the station in her sedan to drive her former student and her lovely friend to Lucy Liner’s home.

Lucy, Tommy, and Tater had the house spic and span for company, and Lucy sewed a colorful new tablecloth for her eight-foot-long farm table. Tommy knocked together a bench for him and Tater to share and thus provided seating for all six of them.

The Liners raised three turkeys. They sold two the week before but kept the one now stuffed and in the oven. Therese raced to hug her beloved family. She could not believe how much Tater and Tommy had grown. “You two are both an inch taller!”

“Momma, this is my friend from Mrs. Cleary’s. Carol Aird, meet Lucy Liner.”

“Hello, Mrs. Liner, it’s so nice to meet you finally. Therese speaks very highly of you and your children.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Aird. I’m so glad Therese has found such a good friend. Her letters, that Tommy reads to me, glow about you.”

The heat of the cooking had made the house very warm. Lucy stood the door open to allow a cooling breeze to circulate through the dwelling. It was a partly cloudy 60˚day.

Lucy had an impressive meal going: turkey with cornbread dressing, giblets and gravy, blackberry jam, squash, sweet corn, shelly peas, beets, and pumpkin pie. Carol and Therese had brought a dozen bakery rolls as promised. Lucy beamed at the fancy white bread. Carol noted how the jam covered the more traditional cranberry slot and found it delightfully different.

The teachers, Mrs. Wallace and Carol, were fast friends in no time. Carol went on and on about the superb primary education Therese had received under the tutelage of the one-room schoolhouse teacher. Mrs. Wallace was very appreciative of Lucy’s dinner invitation; a widow like Lucy, Mrs. Wallace came to the area from Tuskegee and had no living relatives.

Tommy had purchased a guitar recently, and he proudly showed it to Therese after dinner. Carol watched him struggle a bit with a few chords. She gently went over and asked if she could examine his new acquisition. Never ceasing to amaze Therese, Carol worked with the tuning pegs to soon have melodious sounds pouring from the instrument. She played and sang “Frog Went a Courtin’” much to the delight of Tater.

She handed the guitar back to fifteen-year-old Tommy and gave him a quick lesson. He worked diligently on the fingering and strumming drills. Carol reveled in his broad grin.

Therese remarked, “Carol, is there any musical instrument you can’t play?”

“Of course … I’m not very good with horns.”

The others anticipated a longer list, so they were quickly laughing at the embarrassed musician.

Lucy was a bit concerned after first meeting Carol. The cultured woman was just a few years younger than Lucy. As the afternoon progressed, Lucy saw the bond between Therese and Carol. She realized the nature of their relationship. She saw the love between them and said a silent prayer for the enamored couple; the challenges before them were daunting.

At dusk, Mrs. Wallace left with a promise to pick them up in the morning and drive them back to Thomasville. Carol and Therese took a walk. Carol asked, “Lucy can’t read?”

“No … I tried to teach her several times over the years, but she always declined.”

“Really, that’s surprising. She’s so knowledgeable.”

“I think she just likes to be read to. Tommy did it, then the both of us, and now Tater does too. Honestly, Carol, it seems to work for her.”

“Well then, that’s what really matters.” After a few more steps down the side of the fallowed garden, Carol said, “Therese, thank you for inviting me to meet your precious family.”

Therese’s eyes filled with tears. Her heart was so full, she couldn’t respond.

Carol put her arm around Therese and cuddled her close as they walked. This was the first time they had ever done such. Even at the lake cabin, they avoided any out-of-doors displays of affection.

Around nine, the children were fast asleep up in their loft beds. Lucy matter-of-factly asked, “You two don’t mind doubling up in Therese’s old bed, do you? It has fresh sheets and blankets.”

Therese looked into Lucy’s knowing eyes and answered, “No, Momma, we don’t mind one bit.”

Carol loved the crackling fireplace and the earthy smells of the farmhouse. She fell asleep quickly and didn’t rouse until the rooster crowed.

Therese and Carol helped with breakfast. Therese mixed cornmeal batter for hoecakes as Carol fried bacon. Lucy poured the cakes, tended, and flipped them. Lucy had both molasses and corn syrup on the table, but Carol opted for gobs of butter and a jar of Lucy’s blackberry jam.

Mrs. Wallace arrived midmorning, and goodbyes joined hugs to ease the departure. Tommy put a box in Mrs. Wallace’s car. Lucy asked Carol, “Do y’all still have the four big tables, or have you already added more?”

Carol answered, “Just the four at this time.”

“Good, that box has four jars of that jam in it … one for each table.”

Carol and Therese chuckled, and each gave Lucy another hug. Therese commented, “The girls will love it, Momma.”

Carol read _For Whom the Bells Toll_ on the train ride back to Mobile. Therese napped.

*****

The majority of the women at Mrs. Cleary’s Boarding House for Women quickly selected roommates. However, a few incompatibles remained. Mrs. Cleary chose to let them stay in their old rooms with the understanding they would pair with women from the waiting list as soon as possible. Thirty new beds were delivered; Mrs. Cleary ordered extras to replace some of the older beds. Of course, many new sets of dressers and chairs arrived as well.

On the first Saturday in December, Therese and Carol returned from breakfast and moved Therese from her #22 to Carol’s #24. When they were squared away, they stood back and shook their heads. They knew the two of them would be fine with the cramped quarters, but they wondered how some of the others would fare. They hoped that with a good sense of humor and a dose of patience, things would work out for everyone.

To celebrate, they locked their door. Carol and Therese made out in broad daylight on Therese’s bed. As usual, things got hot and heavy, so they pulled up each other’s skirts and got each other off. Kissing and clothed, their fingers probed vaginas while their thumbs worked clits. The quickie’s test drive proved most successful. This discovery had them smiling the rest of the day, quite the contrast to most of their frazzled friends.

ADDSCO offered Therese a full-time secretarial position in the engineering department in December. She and three other women had desks at the front of a large room that housed six mechanical engineers, four electrical engineers, and two chemical engineers. The floor below hers housed a like number of marine engineers and naval architects. It was a busy place, and Therese was a busy girl.

Therese’s pay was much better now, and with the reduced rent, she could afford to buy some new clothes. Carol went with her to pick out some outfits in downtown Mobile. Carol knew the dress shops and department stores well. They hit them when prices had been reduced after Christmas. They also got haircuts and spent some time mulling over the cosmetics departments. Their friends at the house oohed and awed over them for the next few days. It sparked a bit of competitiveness, and the appearances of the entire joint classed up a notch or two.

The women of Mrs. Cleary’s all suffered through their building’s renovations over the winter months. Fortunately, the stalwart carpenters, electricians, plumbers, brick masons, and plasterers finished ahead of schedule on Therese’s birthday, Thursday, January 30, 1941. 

Therese and Carol had purchased each other some wickedly sexy lingerie for Christmas. They deployed it on Valentine’s Day. It was a cold night for Mobile, so they closed their window and drew the blinds. They muted the lamps in the room with red and pink scarfs then changed with their backs to one another. Upon the count of three, they turned and sighed at the visions of one another. Carol’s lighter hair set off her black garb, while Therese’s dark bob enhanced her white frilly laces.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Aird.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Miss Belivet.”

“Can I pour you a glass of Champaign, Miss Aird?”

“Yes, please, and I insist … one for you.”

They had secreted a bottle of bubbly into the room that afternoon. Alcohol in the rooms was forbidden, so they would have to consume all the evidence.

They closed to inches with glasses in hand, and then like they had seen in a movie, they entwined their arms to take the first sip.

Carol asked, “Are you as wet as I am, Miss Belivet?”

Therese answered, “Dripping, Miss Aird.”

“Should we take this any further or simply call it a night, Miss Belivet?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Miss Aird … oops, sorry… I’ve been hanging around with those goddamn engineers too much.”

Carol tilted her head back and laughed.

They stood and gazed into each other’s eyes until the glasses were empty. Carol took Therese’s glass and set both of them on their dresser. She asked, “Miss Belivet, may I kiss you?”

“Only if you intend to fuck me like there is no tomorrow.”

“That’s my plan.”

“Then take me, Miss Aird.”

Their lips touched. Therese pulled back and flicked Carol’s top lip with her tongue. The tease caused Carol to drive her open mouth onto Therese’s then plunge her tongue to the root of Therese’s, massaging it with fervor.

Their beds were pushed together. They would pull them apart at dawn, but that seemed eons away at this luscious moment.

Carol eased her embrace and guided her young lover to the bed. She pulled Therese’s panties, nuzzled the lace to her cheek, then flung them aside. Carol crawled between Therese’s legs teasing her inner thighs with kisses. Therese jerked at the contacts and giggled with delight. Therese moaned when Carol finally buried her lovely mouth in the 19-year-old’s vulva. Therese bit her hand to muffle her love sounds.

Carol begged Therese to fist her. The young woman had it down to an art form. She would slowly work her fingers into Carol’s tight vagina until her hand fit in its entirety. As if on cue, Carol came when Therese curled her fingers into a wonderful little fist. She always worked her through multiple orgasms and tonight was no exception. Valentine’s Day was a Friday. They let Daisy’s breakfast pass them by the next morning and slept until ten.

*****

Such was life and love with Carol and Therese through the late winter and early spring. Their brave forty-eight drove the factories, businesses, and schools of Mobile out of the Great Depression, just like millions of other American workers did in thousands of other cities, towns, and villages.

Therese’s heart was elated and crushed at the same moment in May. Eleanor Roosevelt had arranged a women’s workshop in Washington, D.C., and Carol Aird was invited to represent Alabama along with three other women from across the state. It would last the entire month of June. The day after graduating her students, Carol was bound for the important event.

“I will miss you, darling.”

Therese cried, “I’ll miss you too … oh, I feel like I’m going to die without you.”

“Now, now, Therese. This is important work. I’m representing all of us. We must be strong.”

“I know, and Carol, I’m so proud of you. Don’t forget to write to me… often.”

“Twice a week, dearest, I promise.”

Carol and Therese said these goodbyes in their room; they could not risk the public emotions of a tearful parting at the train station.

Therese stayed in the room for the rest of the day. She was too miserable to eat, and she did not want to expose her red, puffy eyes to the others. Abby knocked on her door in the afternoon, but Therese did not open it. She asked Abby to tell everyone that she was fighting a bad headache.

Abby walked back downstairs, shaking her head. She knew it was heartache, not headache, that gripped Therese.


	8. The Boys

Therese’s engineering department was swamped. They started working Saturdays on the first weekend of June. Therese jumped on the overtime plus the work filled hours would be that many fewer spent missing Carol. The company cafeteria wasn’t open, so Therese volunteered to make a run for sandwiches at a nearby diner. She entered the diner and placed her order at the counter. The owner was also the cook. He overheard his waitress taking the sizeable order. Through his order window, he directed, “Barb, get that girl a Coke while she waits … on the house.”

Therese smiled at the big tattooed proprietor and called out, “Thank you, sir.”

He winked, then dove back into his work.

Therese slid one of the paper straws into the little, dark bottle and took a sip. She had cursorily noted three young men at a booth on the way in. They were seated directly behind her. She heard one of them say, “Semco, you are so full of it.”

Therese spun on the stool. She stared at the men. The three of them noticed and couldn’t help but stare back at the petite stunner.

“Do you guys not recognize me?”

The tallest of the three shrugged and shook his head, “Were you at Jack Taft’s party last weekend? I mean, we’d all had a few too many.”

She hopped down and took a boxer’s stance.

The shortest, a dark-haired fellow, exclaimed, “Oh, my God, y’all, she’s Therese Belivet!”

The tall one scooted off the bench and reached for Therese. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he lifted her feet off the floor in his excitement.

“Richard, you’ve grown so big and tall. Oh, I often wondered what kind of men the three of you became.”

The sandy-haired man whose height measured between the other two said, “Okay, Semco, let someone else hug our little sister.”

Therese hugged Phil McElroy and pecked his cheek. She swished off the lipstick with her thumb then beamed, “Phil, you are so handsome… are you still the leader of this pack.”

“I don’t know about either of those, but I know a skinny little girl sure has grown into a beautiful woman.”

Therese turned to Dannie McElroy and warmly hugged him without saying anything. Dannie softly spoke in her ear. “We looked for you, Therese. It’s like you fell off the edge of the earth. I was afraid you had… well—”

“Died?”

“He nodded with tearing eyes.”

Therese pulled them all in for a group hug and cried.

The cook and waitress were overwhelmed by the reunion and looked away to cover their emotion.

Dannie grabbed Therese’s beverage and had her join them at their booth. Therese did not think it was the time to share the details of her post orphanage journey. She promised to explain everything at a better time. Therese told them of her work and the lunch errand. They realized she had but a few minutes, so the men asked her if she could meet them for dinner; the four would have time to share all of their histories and endeavors.

Therese had an idea and excused herself to use the diner’s payphone. Mrs. Cleary added a telephone as part of the renovations. Therese called and asked if three old friends could join her for supper. Mrs. Cleary was thrilled to do something special for one of her favorite boarders. Therese returned to the booth and invited the men to dine with her at the boarding house. The date was set.

Therese’s big bag of sandwiches was ready. Rounding up to a generous tip, she paid the waitress with the engineers' cash handed her. Her “brothers” waved to her from their window as she walked back to ADDSCO.

Therese hurried home from work at five and spruced up before dinner. She rushed downstairs to be able to greet her men when they arrived. Many of the boarders were out of town this weekend, so Mrs. Cleary set aside an entire table for Therese and her guests.

Richard, Phil, and Dannie were early. Therese showed them around the ground floor and introduced them to some of the girls. Genevieve Cranell commented, “Wow! Therese has never had a gentleman over, and all of a sudden, she has three … and good looking ones at that.”

They sat down to Birdie’s spaghetti, meatballs, garden salad, and Italian bread. The men loved the meal. For dessert, Birdie and Mrs. Cleary served homemade vanilla ice cream. Mrs. Cleary paid two little boys a dime apiece to crank the churns, plus she gave them the first two cups. Therese asked her men not to participate in the cleanup, but they insisted on helping by carrying bowls into the kitchen.

At supper, Therese learned that Phil and Dannie were doc workers for Waterman Steamship Corporation while Richard worked as a shipping clerk at the Mobile Bay rail yard. They were most impressed with her completion of secretarial school and the landing of a position at ADDSCO.

Therese quickly sensed a change in the nature of her relationship with the men. All three were taken with her beauty and charm. The attraction stressed her a bit, and she tried to play to the old chumminess they once shared.

The sitting room was busy, but the women made sure Therese and her guests had the privacy of the parlor to converse. The men listened intently to Therese as she recounted her short time with the Smiths, her luckily finding the Liners and her life in Mobile. They always felt something went wrong with the Smiths, and it hurt to hear their worst fears realized. Therese saw guilt in their expressions, so she quickly redirected, “But thanks to your teaching me to defend myself, I got away from those monsters and found a pathway to a whole new life … a great life.”

Over the balance of June, she frequently saw one, two, or all three of the men. They had a bond. They laughed about the good times from their childhood and bemoaned the bad. They had large and small meals together, caught movies at the Pike, and walked in the city’s parks. It was so liberating to walk with someone she was fond of in public. To walk with these men’s arms around her made her feel safe and loved. Why would she never be able to do this with her precious Carol? She could not mention these feelings to her rediscovered friends, and she shocked Dannie one evening as they walked in the park. The sense of unfairness overwhelmed Therese. She strode over to a four-foot-long fallen tree limb, picked it up, then violently snapped it in two with a full-force swing at an oak.

He was concerned at first, then her scream turned to laughter. She hugged him. He murmured, “Maybe I better get the crazy woman home to the asylum.” He spontaneously kissed her. She received it softly enough but quickly pulled back, saying, “We shouldn’t.”

“Why, do you mind?”

“No … but we shouldn’t. I better go home.”

“Will you see me tomorrow night?”

“I don’t know. I guess not.”

“The night after?”

“I don’t know, Dannie.”

He dejectedly walked her to the park's corner, and they caught a trolley back to Mrs. Cleary’s. Therese thanked him for the evening, then darted up the stairs to the foyer, and without pause, all the way up to her room, their room, Carol’s and hers.


	9. Waterfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/IpQQJky)   
> 

Richard owned a 1937 Chevy 4-door sedan. He had started dating Genevieve. On Friday evening, June 27th, Therese caught them on their way out for their date and asked him if he would drive her to the train terminal on Saturday night to pick up her roommate.

“Oh, I’ll finally get to meet this Carol you talk about all the time.”

“Yes, you will.”

He asked his girlfriend, “Genevieve, would you like to ride along?”

“Of course, Richey Pooh, anything with you.” Genevieve cackled at her own rhyme.

Therese rolled her eyes in silence then thanked Richard for agreeing to the favor.

Carol’s train arrived late; it was after nine by the time they got back to the boarding house. Therese had sent a couple of letters informing Carol of her finding Richard, Phil, and Dannie. Carol had mixed feelings about it. She was happy for Therese in her rekindling of childhood friendships, but she was jealous of the time Therese was spending with these attractive gents.

Richard insisted on carrying Carol’s large suitcase at the terminal and later into Mrs. Cleary’s. Carol thanked him and Genevieve for spending their Saturday night on the favor.

Once in their room, Therese and Carol embraced one another and kissed for a minute or two. Therese helped Carol unpack and then went to shower. When she returned. Therese was waiting for her, wearing only a robe.

Carol saw the sparkle in Therese’s eye and the flush in her cheeks but asked, “Sweetheart, I’m so tired … will you just hold me tonight.”

Therese had already pushed their beds together. Even with the window open and a breeze coming through the screen, their room was quite warm. They curled up in each other’s arms without even a bedsheet over them.

They dressed for Sunday breakfast and went down to enjoy fried eggs, bacon, cinnamon toast, and grits. They went to the sitting room so Carol could catch up with their friends and tell them about her exciting and important trip. Midmorning, Carol could tell that Therese was tired of hearing about it for the umpteenth time. She asked Therese to take a walk with her. They took their favorite, circuitous route through the neighborhood.

After two blocks of silence, Carol asked, “How have you been, Therese?”

“Fine. I’ve just missed you is all.”

“I’ve missed you terribly, darling.”

“Carol, you seem … I don’t know … distant.”

“I’m sorry, love. Mrs. Roosevelt worked us hard, and my head is full of her agenda for the coming years.”

“So, she’ll be calling on you in the future?”

“I proudly yet apprehensively sure of it.”

“Why ‘fearfully’?”

“It will take me from you, Therese.”

“Oh, so you mean she would request your presence in Washington.”

“That’s right.”

“What about your teaching.”

“I don’t know, Therese … I just don’t know what to expect.”

“I wish you knew more about it all.”

“As do I.”

They walked a bit further, then Carol asked, “Do you still have that vacation scheduled for July 12th though the 20th?”

“Yes.”

“How about we tell two fibs. You tell everyone that you’re spending it with the Liners, and I’ll put the word out that I’m going to visit an old college friend and her family in North Carolina. We’ll really withdraw some of my savings and go stay at a cabin I rented in the Smokey Mountains.”

“What?”

“Oh, please, please, Therese… you remember how much fun we had at that lake cabin. Imagine one in the mountains. I took a chance you’d go with me and paid the $30 for the week when I was in Washington. A woman talked about a mountain cabin of hers that she rents out for most of the year. It’s a few miles from Gatlinburg. She said the daytime highs seldom exceed eighty at this time of year, and the lows at night dip into the fifties. Wouldn’t that be a lovely break from this stifling city?”

“My! Would we take a train?”

“Yes. I checked into it on one of the few open afternoons we had. I believe we can take a sleeper for most of the way.”

“I’m excited!”

“Me too … hey, when we get back to the house, let’s slip upstairs. I want to make up for last night.”

“That sounds great, Carol, but the two girls in my old room next door are a couple of Nosy Rosies with big ears. We better wait until bedtime, and you have no reason to think you need to make anything up to me. I loved it last night. I haven’t slept that well since you left four weeks ago.”

“Your precious … not even something quick?”

“That, we could manage.”

In the room, Carol bent Therese over the bed, then pulled her skirt up above her hips. She pulled Therese’s panties down to her nylons and then lovingly worked her girl’s vagina and clitoris with her thumb and fingers. As the Sapphic explosion built within her, Therese uttered, “This is new … wh—, where did this come from?”

“I was thinking about you one night in Washington, and it took me a long time to fall asleep. Finally, I fell asleep but awoke from this very dream.”

“Ya … you mean … you were pleasing me like this… our room and everything?”

“Mm-hmm … now hush, darling, and let yourself go.”

Therese did indeed let herself go. She had to sit a minute on the edge of the bed and allow her legs to quit shaking before she could perform the same act on Carol.

Carol’s legs turned to Jell-O as Therese worked Carol’s wetness into a throbbing frenzy.

After splashing cold water on their faces in the restroom and straightening their clothes, they went back downstairs. Therese asked Carol to play the piano for her. Carol played for an hour, taking requests from Therese and the other church-skipping heathens. They did sing one hymn, _Leaning On the Everlasting Arms._ Carol increased the speed of the slow favorite. She coached up the sopranos and altos to strongly carry their respective parts in the refrain. The result was a fast, joyous tune.

*****

Carol and Therese loved the train ride from Mobile to Birmingham to Chattanooga to Gatlinburg. They made a grand memory having sex in their bumpy sleeper car.

The woman from the conference had given Carol a signed receipt to present if anyone questioned their right to occupy the cabin. She had also provided the name of a local in Gatlinburg that would run them up to and back down from the cabin for a few dollars.

On Sunday morning, Carol took Babe Rhodes for a man until the broad-shouldered woman turned and spoke. Babe had short, black hair and wore coveralls. She glanced at Carol’s receipt then handed it back, saying, “It’ll be four dollars for taking you up and then fetching you back on Saturday.” Therese had entered the auto repair shop by now, and after seeing her, Babe added, “I tell ya what Miss Aird, for an even five dollars, I’ll drive up to the cabin on Wednesday then bring ya back to town to shop and sightsee. I’ll take you back to the cabin that evening.

Therese chirped, “That’s a deal, ma’am… and, Carol, I’ll pay … you got the cabin.” Therese handed Babe a five. Babe glanced away, shyly after hanging a little too long on Therese’s eyes. Therese shot a quick wink at Carol.

After they purchased some groceries for the week, Babe earned every bit of her fee by pointing out treasures along the drive and recounting spicy tales of the locals’ daring dos. After carrying their bags to the cabin’s porch, Babe reached under the porch step and pulled out a door key. After handing it to Carol, she cautioned, “There’s a 20 gauge double hanging over the fireplace. It’s loaded with birdshot. If one of these black bears gets too aggressive, sting his hind end with that. If it persists, load two of the buckshot rounds from the blue box and aim at its head. If that happened, please let me know later. I’ll skin the hide for a rug. The tourists love that shit.” Babe longingly glanced back at the couple as she walked back to her truck. She stopped halfway and proclaimed, “Y’all should have a good time up here; there ain’t nobody around for miles. I’ll see ya at nine on Wednesday morning.”

After Babe drove off, Carol commented, “Well, I think we know which side Miss Babe’s bread is buttered on.”

Therese laughed heartedly at Carol’s assessment, then she stopped short. They heard Therese’s laughter echoing across their panoramic view. Therese hunched up her shoulders and brought her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

Carol exclaimed, “To hell with it, darling!” Then she sang out, “Hallelujah,” in true Handelian form. They joked that Carol’s echo probably followed Babe all the way back to town.

The skirts and blouses they wore on the trip were soon hanging on their bedposts as they buried themselves in the feather bed with its down comforter and feather pillows. Therese screamed and kicked; she was so excited. She was beyond thrilled when her stately Carol did the same.

Buck naked, they smooched and talked for the better part of an hour; they wanted to save their heavy lovemaking for the cool of the night. They got up and donned their walking shorts, short sleeve shirts, and hiking shoes. A quick trek around their perimeter revealed one thrilling view after another. They did not take the shotgun, but at one point, Therese picked up a baseball-sized rock to carry along. Carol chuckled at her lover. “You are so feisty!”

Therese responded, “I’ll show you “feisty” tonight, Teach!”

Carol’s center quivered a bit at that. The two were mad about each other.

The cabin did not have utilities, so they fried up their bacon that afternoon and made bacon sandwiches with the bread they had purchased. Carol ventured to the back porch to pump some more water for dishwashing. Therese took the opportunity to fetch a Hershey bar and a tiny candle from her bag. She lit the candle with Carol’s lighter and carefully dripped a base on the chocolate. It supported the candle well. When Carol returned, she was moved to tears that Therese remembered her July 13th birthday. Carol blew out the candle and made a wish, then kissed Therese. She broke the bar in half, and they each enjoyed the sweet. She held the candle’s base to Therese’s mouth for her to lick the chocolate from the wax.

“Therese Belivet, you are beautiful.”

“Well, so are you, my thirty-four-year-old love.”

“Ahhh! How did you find out the year?”

“Abby told me.”

“Oh yeah, Abby blurted the year of her birth once right after we met, and I commented that it was the same year as mine.”

“Dang, Carol, don’t be embarrassed by it. You wear it well.”

“Easy for you to say, kid.”

“Kid?”

Therese began to tickle Carol, which Carol could stand least of all. Therese chased her out the front door. Carol paused on the porch, “Look, Therese!”

Therese thought it was a distractive defensive ploy, but Carol grabbed her hand and pulled her in close. Carol pointed across the little valley to their right. “Look!”

Therese stared for a moment, then spotted movement. It was a bear and two cubs. Therese awed, “A momma and her babies.”

“Yep, and she would probably be very dangerous if she felt her cubs were threatened.”

They watched the creatures until they topped the ridge and disappeared.

“Well, we’ll just half to be real careful. I don’t want to hurt one.”

“Me neither, Therese.”

They sat on the front porch and played Twenty-One at a penny a hand while smoking Chesterfields and sipping Jack Daniels. They went inside at dusk, locked the front and back doors, and lit all three kerosene lanterns. The temperature was dropping with the darkness, but it was still mild. They built a fire anyway and stoked it modestly. It smelled good. The cabin reminded Therese of the Liner house.

Carol realized what Therese was thinking and said, “You could be with your momma, brother, and sister this week, Therese. I’m sorry for taking you from them.”

“They didn’t know I had a vacation anyway, Carol. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get over there soon.”

“Can I tag along?”

“Of course you can.”

Sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, they leaned into the kiss. It was nice. Carol ever so gently took in Therese’s bottom lip with both of her lips. It made a lovely snap when she released it. They re-engaged mouth on mouth with tongues massaging away in moist delight.

At least the cabin had glass windows and substantial curtains. They felt very secure with them all closed. Therese grasped Carol’s hand and stood. She pulled Carol up and over to their downy love nest.

“Now, it’s time for your birthday present,” cooed Therese.

They had changed to just their robes after securing the house, and now Therese opened Carol’s and took her lips to Carol’s breasts. She kissed and tongued Carol’s nipples, one then the other, until Carol moaned with joy. Therese shifted and danced kisses down Carol’s belly to end at her clit. She feasted on it until Carol screamed. Therese rose to her knees and shrugged off her robe. She took her gorgeous nakedness skin to skin with Carol’s pressing her down into the luxuriant mattress. Carol tried to caress Therese, but Therese locked her fingers with Carols and pushed her arms up over their heads.

Therese suddenly released Carol’s hands and smoothly spun to bring her vulva to Carol’s mouth while her own lips rejoined Carol’s wet pocket. Carol aggressively tongued and mouthed up into Therese’s soft pink flesh.

Late on Tuesday, after a third night of passion, Carol announced, “I guess this week is going to be one big roll in the hay… and I love it.”

“Feathers.”

“Oh, I stand corrected, m’ lady… ‘feathers’!”

They were ready for Babe at half-past-eight on Wednesday morning. Babe was early, too, by 15 minutes.

“Hop in, ladies. Have y’all been having fun?”

“Oh, yeah,” assured Therese, “we’ve hiked and … well—”

“And, we’ve drunk all of our booze!” rescued Carol. “Surely, there’s a liquor store in town.”

Babe laughed, “Of course! I’ll point it out when we get there.”

They cruised along the curves a bit farther, then Babe asked, “What did you think of the swimming?”

Carol asked, “Swimming? There’s no water.”

“Goddammit! I forgot to tell y’all. If you go down into that big holler behind the cabin and then follow it west for a few hundred feet, you’ll come to a waterfall that empties into a rock-bottomed pond. You can’t see the creek that the pond empties into because it’s underground. It flows down that valley for miles.”

Carol teased, “Babe, you should be ashamed for not telling us about that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No worries, Babe. I’m just kidding… it’ll be all the more special for us to experience tomorrow.”

“So, you brought bathing suits?”

“We did.”

Therese was sitting between the two of them, and she felt somewhat sorry for Babe, given the frustration on her face.

As Babe dropped them off, she told them to take their time, and whenever they got back to her garage, she would drive them back to the cabin

They checked out the shops along Gatlinburg’s main drag. The couple passed on all the junky stuff, but they purchased little bags of taffy, mints, and caramels at a candy store. Babe had suggested a restaurant owned by kin for their lunch. They found it and chose a window seat overlooking the busy tourist town. Rain was in the forecast for the day, but it wasn’t threatening at this point. They ordered T-bone steaks, pan fires, and salads then ate every bite. Missing ice for several days, they kept the waitress busy with tea refills. Carol covered the tab, including a nice tip for their hardworking server.

After Carol told her to keep the change, the waitress said, “Thank you, ma’am! Y’all are so sweet and pretty. I bet it’s fun to get away from the men for a day.”

“Oh, it is,” chimed Carol.

Therese smiled, but Carol felt her girlfriend’s eyes were laughing.

They had fun at a small amusement park. The establishment had a scaled-down tenpins lane, and the women bowled three games. Carol tried hard, but Therese won game three to take two of the three. Therese accused her of letting her win. They got cherry flavored snow cones at three to cool off in the shade of a big cedar. Their last stop was the liquor store. With wine, Cokes, beers, and whiskey in hand, they headed for Babe’s.

Babe was washing up when they reached her garage around five. On the way out of town, Babe suggested they purchase a block of ice from the town’s icehouse. At the cabin, Babe placed the block in the cabin’s icebox. They invited her to have a drink with them. After Carol chipped off some ice for their glasses, the three women sat on the porch. They leaned back in the straight back chairs, lolling with their iced whiskey and Cokes.

A softer demeanor emerged from Babe as the whiskey worked its charm. She was quite funny and had the Mobile couple rolling. Out of nowhere, a cloud came over Babe. She murmured, “I had a girlfriend for a while.”

Therese was a bit uneasy, but calmly and gently, Carol asked, “Really? What was her name, Babe?”

“Nancy McBride… she was a seamstress. She took in clothes and mended them for a lot of the local workers. She was the daughter of a hateful preacher. You know… one of them little pissant churches where it’s their way or a trip to Hell.”

Therese asked, “Did she move off?”

“Nah, I wish that was all she’d done.” Babe rubbed her brow with her head tilted down. After a moment, she continued, “Uh, she always thought our love was a sin. After we would have one of our times together, she would cry and say something like, ‘Never again! Damn you, Babe, never again!’ So, one morning I’d had enough and told her I couldn’t handle her shaming me … and frankly herself, for the way we were. I asked her to figure out what she wanted, and if it was me, to come a hollerin’. But if not, then leave me be.” Babe started sobbing.

Carol and Therese brought their chairs forward and moved to Babe’s side. They put hands on her shoulders.

Babe cried, “She jumped off the canyon bridge … killed herself.”

“Oh, no!” cried Therese.

They leaned down and hugged Babe.

After a while, Babe stood and pulled a stained handkerchief from her pocket. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. After a couple of coughs, she said, “I can see you two have a special love … a tender one. Don’t ever let it go.”

She stepped off the porch just as thunder rumbled in the distance. “There she comes, ladies. Thanks for hearing out an old dyke. I believe this storm will pass through tonight and give y’all a pretty day for the waterfall tomorrow. I tell ya, gals, it’s heavenly, but you need to watch your step goin’ down into that gorge. You’ll see the old shaller zig-zag trail. Thanks for the whiskey!”

“Bye, Babe,” said Therese.

Carol waved to her.

Babe surprised them by singing in a fine, dramatic contralto, “Goodnight, ladies! Goodnight, ladies! Goodnight, ladies! I’m going to leave you now.”

Their lovemaking that night was especially gentle with the rain peppering their tin roof.

Therese and Carol were thrilled about their Thursday excursion. Just as Babe had foretold, the mountain fog burned off in the morning and left a cerulean sky for the 80° degree afternoon.

The cabin had a picnic basket hanging in the kitchen. They took it down, dusted it off, and then filled it with sandwiches and beers wrapped in a towel with ice. They had their swimsuits on under their shorts and shirts.

Therese asked, “Are we ready?”

Carol gestured above the fireplace. “Do you know how to use one of those?”

Therese looked up at the shotgun, “Sure … some.”

“Well, I’d feel better with it along. If you carry it, I’ll tote the basket.”

“Bears?”

“Both four and two-legged beasts. Some of the characters along the road looked … well, a bit wooly.”

“Dang! Okay.”

Therese pulled a chair over and stood in it to reach the petite double gun. Back on the floor, she opened the breech and pulled the two birdshot shells. “If we are going to the trouble of taking it, we best load it for business.” She plucked two of the shells from the blue box and read aloud the numbers and letters printed on their sides, “20 GA, #1 BUCK,” then slid them into the chambers and closed the breech.

“Carol asked, “That’d do the trick?”

“Oh, yeah.”

It took them a half-hour to reach the base of the gorge and another ten to reach the waterfall. The water shot off a ledge before cascading fifty feet into a basin. They grinned like children. Their outer clothes were soon hanging on branches, and they held hands to ease into the cold water. They had gotten hot and sweaty on the trek. The contrast was invigorating, to say the least.

The center of the basin was chest high. They hesitated then took deep breaths before wading directly underneath the fall. It was magical. They stayed away from the far edge of the basin. Babe had cautioned them about its drain into the underground stream; that current had quite the draw. Babe said she slipped down into it once then managed to climb back up and out, but she swore she’d never let it happen again.

After a good long frolic in the water, they waded to the shore and toweled off. Therese and Carol sat in the warming sun toasting their love with the ice-cold bottles of Schlitz.

In melancholy, they left the train on Sunday evening and hailed a cab. It dropped them at Mrs. Cleary’s Boarding House for Women just in time for supper.


	10. Little Buzzard Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/SgV4Hng)  
> Pearl Harbor, Sunday, December 7, 1941
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/yf1St3v)  
> Arsenal of Democracy 
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/Dr9cjf7)  
> 

It was a cool Sunday afternoon in Mobile. Therese pulled a sweater on for her walk with Carol. Carol had stayed downstairs after Sunday dinner to write a letter to her aunt in Atlanta. She wrote to the aunt once a year, but the aunt never responded. Sometimes Carol questioned whether she wrote the Christmas letter in the spirit of the season or to vex her only living relative.

As Carol finished proofing the correspondence, Fore asked, “Carol, what’s today’s date?” Fore had a letter going as well.

“December 7th.”

“Thank you, ” said Fore, and then she glanced up to see Therese enter. “Hey, T! I’m just penning a quick message to my Mom. Will y’all drop it in the corner box on your walk?”

“Certainly, F!”

Carol interjected, “I’ll take it and mail it with this one. Take your time; we’re in no hurry for our walk.”

“Okay, thanks, C.”

Therese went over and turned on the radio. She was surprised when she did not hear the usual opera music that this station played every Sunday at this hour. Instead, it was CBS commentator Albert Warner reporting that naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan had bombed U.S. military ships and facilities on the island of Hawaii.

Carol loudly called out. “Everyone! Come in here and listen!”

The women within earshot began to cluster around the radio.

Mr. Warner stated that Japanese aircraft began bombing and strafing Pearl Harbor and its surrounding installations around eight Hawaii time. Carol glanced at her watch; it was a quarter to two in their Central Time Zone.

Events moved quickly in December of 1941. Dannie and Phil McElroy joined the Marine Corp and left for basic training the day after Christmas. Richard was so moony over Genevieve he decided to wait on the draft. Rationing started by month-end with gasoline and tires being the first victims.

By the end of June 1942, the Japanese occupied territories from Sumatra and the Philippines in the South Pacific to the Aleutians in the north Rommel’s _Panzer Army Afrika_ had just handed the British Army a defeat at Tobruk. ADDSCO was turning out the first of the Liberty ships for convoy duty. These prefab wonders could be produced quickly and inexpensively. They were never intended to last twenty years rather three or four. The theory was to “build them faster than they can sink them,” and eighteen American manufactures were turning out the Liberty ships by the hundreds. While not as quickly built as the Liberty ships, Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation in nearby Chickasaw, Alabama were launching new Fletcher Class destroyers with shocking regularity.

Therese worried about Richard. He always seemed to have an endless supply of cash, and he drank and clubbed heavily, usually with Genevieve on his arm. “G” loved flashing the expensive gifts he gave her.

On the last Thursday evening in June, Richard rang the boarding house and asked to speak to Therese. Penelope darted up the stairs to notify Therese of the call. Therese answered the knock. She was already in her pajamas. Carol was teaching night classes for the summer. She was helping Mobile workers earn their GED certifications. Therese donned her robe and headed down to answer the phone.

“Richard?”

“Hey, Therese, I hate that you had to come all the way down from your room.”

“That’s okay.”

“Could you help me pick out an engagement ring for Genevieve tomorrow at lunch.”

“Actually, the engineers are having us work through lunch tomorrow.”

“That’s sorry of them.”

“No, we’re working through lunch and then finishing for the day at two. They are celebrating our being caught up on all of the current projects. We won’t have to work Saturdays for a while.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Yes.”

“I can take off at two from the rail yard. Would you go with me then?”

“Sure, where do I meet you?”

“Do you know Clark’s Jewelry?”

“I do.”

“How about meeting there at half-past two?”

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

“I owe ya, Therese. This means the world to me.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Richard.”

“Okay … well, goodbye.”

“Bye-bye.”

*****

A couple of blocks from the Jewelry store, Richard took Therese’s hand as she stepped off the trolley. They walked quickly towards their destination until an overly dressed man emerged from a bar and hailed Richard, “Hey, Semco, got a minute?”

“Not really, Sam, we’re kinda in a hurry.”

“C’mon, man, just one drink … I promise ya; it’ll be worth your while.”

“Okay, just one. Do you mind, Therese?”

She felt uneasy about it but felt safe with Richard. “I guess so.”

Sam exclaimed, “Yeah, baby! Come get out of this hot sun and have something tall and cold to drink.”

Being the middle of the afternoon, Therese wasn’t surprised to find no one in the bar.

Sam chimed, “C’mon … I got a table in the back room.”

Richard smiled at Therese, but she could tell he was nervous.

They entered the room, and the door slammed shut behind them. When Therese and Richard turned back to see who closed the door, they found two gunmen pointing revolvers at them.

A voice from the shadows to their left said, “Good job, Sam. You can go.”

Sam scurried out a back door and disappeared down its hall. A flash of sunlight revealed an exit to the alley behind the bar; Sam’s silhouette filled the space for a second, then was gone.

“Sorry about the guns, Semco, but I know how good you are with those fists … I couldn’t take the chance.”

Therese asked, “Richard?”

“It’s okay, honey. Just stay calm. I know these guys. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

“Yeah, ‘honey,’ you’ll be out of here in no time … that is … just as fast as Richy Boy hands me the three grand he owes me.”

Richard had recognized the voice from the darkness. “I don’t owe you three grand, Steele.”

“I beg to differ, Semco … that tipoff on the load of tires was a bust. I lost thousands.”

“So you missed a big score because I had the schedule wrong. I’ll get you another one soon.”

“I’m sure you will. We’ve had a mutually profitable relationship up to this point. It’s just that I had costs, Semco.”

“What kind of costs?” Richard smirked.

“Look, Richard, you’re shit ain’t my only business. I use one score to fund another and back and forth … back and forth … back and—”

“Okay, Steele, but I don’t have three thousand dollars right now … not even close to it.”

“Well, you better start scratching, boy.”

Therese had eased close to Richard. He put his arm around her. All he wanted at this point was to get her safely out of the mess he had put her into. “That’s fine, Steele, we’ll leave right now, and I’ll get her home and then start liquidating some assets. I’ll have you the money in a week.”

Steele chortled, “Yeah, you can leave, Semco, but…”

Richard pulled Therese in tightly, “But what?”

“This chippie ain’t that Cranell broad you been struttin’ with.”

Therese blurted, “I ain’t no ‘chippie’ you asshole.”

“Whoa! Listen to her, boys.”

After they quit laughing, Steele posed, “Naw, you're protective of her like… like—”

“A sister,” one of the thugs growled.

“Yeah, Johnny … a sister. Hey, that’s even better. Semco, whether she’s blood or not, you love that little gal like family.”

Richard was out of verbal counter punches. He stood in silence, sweating in the airless room. As if some silent signal had been given, the two gunmen moved like predators to press the muzzles of their thirty-eights against the hapless pair’s heads.

Steele finally emerged.

Therese was surprised. Their tormentor was a petite fellow, not much taller than Therese. He wore a natty suit just like the others and held a gentleman’s straw hat in his hands. The narrow, black mustache below his thin nose seemed to match his slick-backed hair.

Richard reached for the wallet in his sport coat. His gunman reached around and grabbed his wrist while the thug’s other hand shoved the gun barrel into Richard’s ear.

Richard uttered, “Take it easy, Johnny, I’m just getting my wallet.”

Johnny directed, “Okay, Semco, but real slow.”

Richard pulled all the cash from his wallet, including the amount intended to purchase Genevieve’s ring, and offered it to Steele. “Steele, there’s a little over five hundred there. I’m good for the rest, man… just let us go. Hey, I'll sign my car over to you.”

“I don't want that old piece of shit. No, Semco, I can’t do that. To be such a tough guy, you are weak. You’d blow town, and I’d play hell findin’ ya.”

“I won’t … I promise.”

“Forget about it, Semco, this is the way it’s going to be. I’ll apply the five hundred to your balance. Now it’s twenty-five hundred you owe me. Here you keep the pocket money; you’ll need it for cabs and a stiff drink to calm your nerves.” Steele shoved the small bills in Richard’s shirt pocket. “You are going to go find the rest of my money as fast as possible. When you have it, bring it to my joint out on that pier at Little Buzzard Bay.”

“So, we can go?”

“No, ‘we’ can’t. You can. And you know how I said you might need a drink to calm your nerves? Well, you’re sure as hell gonna be nervous ’cause this little thang is stayin’ with us.”

Steele moved within inches of Richard. “Listen close, Semco, this beauty is staying with us. If you bring me the money tomorrow night by eight, you get her just as pretty and tight as she is right now. If you don’t have it to me by then, we’ll start having our way with her.”

Therese’s gunman had pulled her away from Richard. She hated that the creep could probably feel her shaking.

“Notice I said ‘start’ … for every 8 P.M. deadline you miss thereafter, we’ll all fuck her again. And she looks like a fighter. That’s okay, but that means we’ll have to bust her up some. She won’t last forever, Semco, so let’s not kid ourselves. After day three … that’d be Monday night … there won’t be nuthin’ much left to scrape up and take back home.”

Richard gritted his teeth hard; he could feel the enamel etching.

“By the way, if it goes past the Monday deadline, we’ll hunt you down and kill you. Oh, if you or anybody else attached to this woman decide to go to the cops, I got ears down there... we’ll kill her.”

Richard’s voice broke as he uttered, “I’m sorry, Therese … I’ll be back with that money tonight. I swear, I will.”

Therese remembered the two of them jabbering at the orphanage. She asked, “Cross your heart and hope to die?”

He replied, “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

Steele teased, “How cute!”

After they had another laugh at their victims’ expense, Steele’s voice went a bit shrill as he asked, “Tonight? Damn! Hey, Roddy, does she feel as good as she looks?”

“Oh, hell, yeah, Steele, I hope this pecker head can’t come up with the money. I want this girl tied spread eagle on a bed tomorrow night at five after eight.”

Richard called back as Johnny hustled him out the back door, “Therese, don’t pay any attention to them. I’ll never let that happen.”

*****

Richard stumbled out of the alley and caught a cab. He simply said, “Just drive, and I’ll direct ya as we go.” He didn’t know where to start. He had no bank accounts; Richard only operated in cash. His only two true friends were on a ship headed to war. At that moment, Richard wished he were with them. He thought about going to Genevieve and asking her if he could borrow some money. Then he rejected the idea. She’d then know he was a crook, plus he knew his girl wouldn’t have any real money. He looked out the window and saw the city thinning. “Cabbie, do you know Mrs. Cleary’s Boarding House for Women?”

“Sure, but that’s the opposite direction.”

“I know. Please turn us around and get me there as fast as you can. Richard dropped bills for far in excess of any reasonable fare onto the seat beside the driver.”

“Okay, buddy, but it’s Friday afternoon in this here wartown.”

“Just do the best you can … please!”

The cabbie gladly consented to wait for Richard at Mrs. Cleary’s. Richard sprinted up the walk and the porch steps. He saw Abby on the porch. He sheepishly waved her over to him. “Abby, right?”

“Yes, and you’re Richard.”

“That’s right. Hey, would you do me a huge favor and go ask Carol Aird if she’d come down to the porch and talk to me?”

“You look frazzled, man. Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Please, ma’am, we’ll you get her?”

“Carol … and not Genevieve?”

“No! Please, no … my girl must never know I was here.”

“Abby wanted to ask more questions, but she gave in to the panicky young man. “Do you hear that piano? That’s Carol playing. She’s just inside. We’ll be right back.”

“Just her, Abby. She’s the only one I can … talk to … about a certain matter.”

“Okay, sit down and catch your breath … I’ll get her.”

Carol walked out with a suspicious air. Abby followed but veered to the swing at the other end of the porch.

Richard stood and quaked, “Thanks, Carol.”

Carol responded, “Hello, Richard. You look like one of my schoolboys when they don’t know when they have a bad report card to take home.”

“That’d be me.”

They sat down and conversed with low voices for several minutes. Frustratingly, Abby couldn’t hear a word. She observed that even though Richard cried at one point, her Carol never showed any emotion other than a benevolent nod.

Carol patted Richard’s knee, then she stood and walked to Abby. Abby bounced to meet her halfway.

“Abby, I’m going to go to my room and come right back. Please get a glass of lemonade or tea for this boy. Maybe a few sips will calm him. I’m going to go with him in that cab he has waiting down on the street.”

“Carol, are you sure? I don’t like this.”

“Now, Abby, you’ll just have to go with it. I must bring Therese home. Oh, if something bad happens, always remember I love you.”

Abby numbly followed Carol into the house. Carol trotted up the stairs, and Abby hurried to the kitchen. She’d just had a glass of lemonade, so she knew that Birdie had some made.

Richard drained the glass in two big swigs. Abby looked into his eyes and saw that something was different. He looked more like one of the soldiers from a war movie, resolute and ready to face death. The rattled boy was gone.

Carol entered their room and went directly to her bed. She went to her knees and reached underneath the bed to retrieve a 12X12 paper box. She stood and set the box on her bed. It took a generous tug to lift off the well-settled lid.

Carol did not know of her father’s suicide until she received this box by mail well after his death. The accompanying letter was still folded and resting on top of the eclectic mix of her destitute father’s easily shippable possessions. There was no time to glance at the thoughtful cop's letter or pause over such items as her father’s bronze medal, driver’s license, or pocketknife. No, she had to dive to the bottom of the container and pull the scarf wrapped item from its resting place. It was heavy.

The scarf was the only thing in the box that was her mother’s. She remembered Professor Helen Aird carefully arranging it before heading off to school on cold days. She most carefully freed the weighty object from the scarf. Then her heart skipped a beat just as it did the only other time she held Professor Claude Aird’s war trophy, a German Luger.

She could never reason why the cop sent the tool of her father’s self-execution to her. She remembered verbatim the “P.S.” at the bottom of the letter.

_By the way, the Luger is loaded with seven rounds, six in the magazine and one in the chamber. They hold eight rounds. The safety is on. I wiped the blood from the pistol with cold water then oiled the surface metal to keep it from rusting. Be careful. Automatics are tricky._

Carol held the deadly weapon up and pointed it out their open window at a distant chimney. Her logic-driven core appreciated the slanted grip angle and seductive balance. Carol reasoned that one would simply take a firm grip, point the weapon, and press the trigger. The point of the projectile’s impact would be destroyed if it were inanimate or die if it were animate. She remembered inquisitively looking up the Luger P-08 in the reference section of the library. The pistol was in her right hand. Above her hand was a lever. If one rotated the little lever up fifteen degrees, the inscribed “GESICHERT” would be covered. A pull of the trigger would then fire the weapon. Carol looked for another marking, and she quickly found it. She had read that stamped on what was called the extractor was the word “geláden,” which when visible meant a 9mm Parabellum cartridge was in the chamber awaiting the strike of the pistol’s firing pin to ignite its primer and powder charge, causing the resultant expansion of gasses to propel the bullet from the barrel at high velocity. Simple enough, she thought: “secured,” “loaded,” grip tightly, point, and press the trigger.

Carol went to their closet and pulled a seldom-carried handbag from the shelf. She put her savings passbook, what cash she had, two cigarettes, and her lighter in the purse, then the Luger. After snapping the handbag closed, the meticulous educator practiced opening and drawing the handgun three times.

Carol removed her glasses and wiped them spotlessly clean. She put them on and made a last check of her hair and makeup in the mirror. She’d already done herself up for Therese in anticipation of a lovely Friday night at the movies with some of their pals. There were no GED classes on Friday night.

Carol walked quickly down the halls and stairs to the foyer. More of their friends were arriving home from work. She smiled and nodded to each of them. She hugged Abby on the porch, then took Richard's hand and descended to the waiting cab. Richard directed the driver to take them to Pete’s Auto Repair on Caldwell Street. Richard had the engine repaired that day. He prayed that it would be ready.

*****

Richard’s car was ready, but he didn’t have enough cash to pay the mechanic. Carol made up the difference. After they got in, she asked? “Do you have enough fuel?”

He checked the gauge, “Yes, ma’am, over half a tank.”

“Let’s go to the bank.”

Carol’s bank closed each day at two. The tellers would balance their cash drawers, and the officers would see select clients until they all left at four or five. Fridays were the exception; the staff reopened from four to six to benefit all the paycheck recipients. She entered at a quarter to five and withdrew all but a few cents from her checking and savings account. The wary teller asked a manager to come over. The manager was concerned that the long time account holder was dissatisfied with their service.

“No, not at all; I’ve just incurred a large, untimely expense. I’ll be back with my teacher paycheck next week and start all over again.”

“Well, thank you, Miss Aird.”

“You, too, Mr. Ramsey, tell your kids that Miss Aird said hello.”

“Oh, I will … you’re their favorite.”

Richard was waiting in the parking lot. He hopped out and opened the door for her.

They were soon out of town and heading to Little Buzzard Bay.

Richard had been to the shanty bar a couple of times. Back in Prohibition, it was a profitable speakeasy. After the repeal, it lost its draw. Steele had turned to more creative criminal pursuits. The war-induced black market was his latest obsession, and the foolish Richard Semco was just another of his pawns. Steele kept the remote piece of real estate and used it as the base of his operation. It was no longer an active saloon, but it would still get hopping at times with the wild parties he threw for his circle of lowlifes. 

Carol insisted Richard pull off the road a quarter-mile from Steele’s place. She instructed Richard to stay well back of her and then hide close by along the shore. She told him only to rush the “joint” if he heard gunshots. If she managed to buy Therese’s freedom and emerged with her, he would race back to the car and drive in to pick them up.

Once more, Richard begged to come with her, but she insisted, “No, Richard, they will never be expecting me. It will give me an advantage when negotiating.”

Carol walked until she could see the pier. She stopped and moved to cover, then opened her purse. Carol carefully thumbed the Luger’s safety lever to cover the engraved “GESICHERT” then snapped the purse closed. She left the cover and confidently strode to and along the rickety pier. At the door of the building, she smelled greasy food, cheap tobacco, and booze. Combined with her nerves, it was nauseating, but she choked it down and knocked. A radio blared from somewhere within the bowels of the structure. The music stopped. She heard footsteps and rumblings. A big fellow in a stained wife-beater eventually opened the door. He was smelly and beastly strong looking with cold, dark eyes and a balding head. The thought of this monster touching Therese angered her to the point of having to bite her cheek to control the rage.

“Who are you?”

“My name is of no consequence. I’m here to see Steele. I have money for him.”

The ogre closed the door. After some tromping about and muffled conversation, he returned and motioned for Carol to enter while holding the door open. Her skin crawled as she felt his breath on her cheek.

The cluttered barroom was poorly lit, but Carol could see that one man was seated at a table, and two more were standing behind him. From Richard’s detailed descriptions on the long drive out, she could identify Steele as the one seated, Johnny to his left, and Roddy was to the right. The ogre passed her and went behind the bar busying himself shoving bottled beers down into an ice chest.

Steele gestured towards the bar and broke the silence, “Peewee said you wouldn’t give your name?”

In any other situation, Carol would have been amused by the misapronym, but here it just made her angrier.

“That’s correct, as I told your Mr. Peewee, my name has no bearing on our transaction.”

“And what is this transaction?”

“I’m here to relieve you of the woman you took by force from Richard Semco.”

“Oh, you not only look like a teacher, but you talk like one. English, I bet.”

“Once again, not—”

“Relevant … yeah, yeah. So, do you have the twenty-five hundred dollars?”

“I want to see the young lady first and make sure you have not physically harmed her to this point… as you agreed.”

“The money first.”

“The girl.”

“Money!”

“Girl!”

“Fine, goddammit! Hey, Sam, bring that little cunt up here.”

“What?” was hollered from somewhere deeper in the building.

Carol thought, _Oh, no, there’s five of them._

She stepped closer to the table. Now she could see modest stacks of cash. Carol assumed Steele was counting his take for the day.

Even louder, Steele yelled, “I said to bring that goddam woman up here.”

A humble “Okay” was heard.

A few anxious moments later, Sam walked out, pushing Therese along in front of him.

Carol quickly assessed her sweetheart’s condition. Therese was wringing wet with perspiration and dirty, but her clothes were not torn or even disheveled. They had bound Therese’s hands in front of her. When Carol saw the bindings, she also noted that her girl’s knuckles were not bleeding. She remembered the hand injuries incurred when Therese subdued the horrible Mr. Smith. Carol almost reluctantly shifted her eyes to Therese’s face. She could tell from the lack of visible injuries and the look in Therese’s eyes that they had not sexually violated her.

“The money, bitch?”

Carol opened her purse and saw that the gunmen tensed a bit. She slowly pulled the stack of cash and laid it on the table in front of Steele. He grinned. His grin vanished, and his eyes went dark when Carol informed him that it was only nineteen hundred dollars.

“It’s all I had in the world.”

“Well then, you’re still six hundred short. Sam, take the girl back.”

“Wait, surely this is enough.”

“It’s not what Semco owes me, and I might add, agreed to pay this afternoon.”

“I have an idea, Miss Teacher; I’ll just whore y’all out for the next two weeks to work off the six hundred.”

Carol knew it was over. She would have gladly parted with her hard-earned savings to free her girlfriend, but this man from Hell was not satisfied. Frankly, Carol believed at some level that he would not honor the agreement even if all of the funds had been paid. Yes, it was time. She had to distract them from her purse. She looked at Therese. Therese looked at her. Carol asked, “Therese, isn’t it time for Mr. Smith to go?”

Therese longed to read Carol’s thoughts. In her mind, she repeated Carol’s words, _Isn’t it time for Mr. Smith to go?_ Therese kicked Sam in the crotch with all her might then gave him a two-fisted uppercut to the face. He collapsed to the floor in a daze.

All four of the other men turned to the commotion. Carol drew the Luger causing the men to return their attention to her. With her right arm pointed arrow straight, she put a bullet in Johnny’s left eye, the bridge of Roddy’s nose, and the center of Steele’s forehead. Peewee was coming over the bar with a kid-sized baseball bat in his hand. Carol began firing at the much more difficult moving target. He winced, dropped the bat, and slumped to one knee. Carol noticed the toggle had locked back on her father’s pistol; the magazine was empty. Peewee seemed to revive; he screamed, forced himself up, and lunged for her. Carol back stepped until she slammed into the corner and fell to the floor. Peewee was looming close with blood snorting from his nose and dripping from his mouth. He crashed to the floor. His collapse revealed Therese standing with the bat in her hands. She had struck Peewee on the crown of his head. The livid young woman stepped up beside him and pounded his head three more times. Blood splattered on Carol’s face and clothes. Carol looked on in awe as Therese had the wherewithal to race back to catch the crawling Sam. She ended the slimy hustler’s life with another salvo of cranial blows.

Richard raced in and viewed the carnage. After scanning the murky space, he was relieved to discover the only movement was from Carol and Therese. He walked to Carol and helped her up, then both of them went to Therese and hugged the sobbing girl. Richard used his penknife to the cords from her wrists.

Carol stepped back and focused. She walked to Steele’s table and retrieved her savings. After returning it to her handbag, she glanced at Steele’s scattered cash. “Richard, you should come gather all this cash; you’re going to need it. When we are done here, you need to leave Mobile and start a new life… far away from here. And don’t even think about contacting Genevieve. We’ll make up something to tell her. She’ll have a broken heart but …”

“I understand.”

“Good!”

Carol sat Therese down in one of the chairs, then she stepped across the room to a long shelf that ran along the far wall. It held a dozen hurricane lamps and a large box of matches. Carol took two of the lamps and the matches then walked to the back of the establishment. Richard could no longer see her. He heard two crashes as he finished stuffing bills in his pockets. The flicker of flames could be seen from the deep recess. He went to the shelf and gathered three of the lamps in his arms. He smashed one in the entrance to the back just after Carol returned. She nodded approval. He broke one in that end’s left corner and the other in its right. Carol smashed two along the far wall. Richard slammed another two down behind each end of the bar.

Carol and Richard were pleased when Therese spoke, “Richard, they put my purse under the bar counter when we got here. Well, you see if it’s still there?”

He paused to search. Quickly finding the purse, he held it up for her to see. Carol took it and placed it in Therese’s lap.

Carol grasped one of the three remaining lamps and threw it towards the front wall. Richard took the last two to the entrance and set them by the doorway. Carol stepped in front of Therese, “C’mon, darling. It’s time to go home.” With her arm around Therese’s shoulders, Carol began walking her out. She paused to pick up the Luger. Richard was standing just outside the doorway. Carol handed him the handgun. “Throw this pistol for me … as far out in this accursed water as you can.”

Richard strode to the railing. He glanced all around the area and found nary a witness to the events of the last few minutes. Richard reared back and grunted with the force of his toss. Carol watched the Luger’s trajectory as it arced a hundred feet to land with an impressive splash in its salty grave. Richard murmured, “That saltwater and time will take care of it.”

Carol handed Richard the matches. He knew what to do. “Y’all head for the car. I’ll be along.”

Smoke was already pouring from Carol’s fires. Richard held his breath and ran to the back of the bar. He methodically backed out of the structure striking and tossing matches at the puddles of kerosene and shattered glass. At the door, he flung one lamp to the center of the room to shatter on Steele’s counting table, and the other he smashed on the floor a few feet from the entrance. He struck another match and flicked it to ignite the last lamp’s fuel. Lastly, he tossed the box of matches into the growing blaze. He watched the box of matches until flames reached its contents. It flared two feet high as the dozens of match heads ignited. That seemed to accelerate the entire conflagration.

Richard turned and sprinted to catch the women. He fought the urge to speed as he drove them back towards Mobile. They could ill afford a cop pulling them over and possibly glimpsing the women’s bloody clothes. Carol fished the two cigarettes from her bag and lit one for Therese. Therese gazed lovingly into Carol’s eyes as they smoked in the back seat. Richard glanced at them in the rearview mirror. Suddenly many things became clear to him. Carol asked him to stop at a country store if he could find one that was still open. He knew of one and darted in its door just as the owner was about to close for the day. Richard could not believe his luck; two simple print dresses were hanging on a sparsely populated women’s clothing rack. He purchased the dresses and two pairs of nylons. Richard was surprised to find hosiery. Nylons were already named as a future addition to the ration list.

Richard remembered a lonely bridge located not far from the store. It was on a lightly traveled dirt road and spanned a fast-flowing creek. Standing guard at the car, Richard smoked while the ladies stripped to their undies in the shelter of the old bridge. Carol held Therese’s hand as they waded into the tepid water. They washed the blood from their faces and extremities then checked each other for any errant splatters.

Carol glanced at her beautiful lover then asked, “Did they touch you, Therese?”

Therese stared down in the water at the mossy rocks of the creek bottom. “No, Carol. I would have fought them to my last breath before letting them take me.” Then she burst into tears and sobbed, “But they wouldn’t quit talking about it, on and on, in the car, and at that trashy dive. Carol, thank you for saving me. You are the bravest person in the world.”

Carol pulled her close and hugged her tight. “No, darling, just the most in love person in the world.”

They patted themselves dry with a towel that Richard fortuitously had in his trunk, then dressed. Carol smiled with joy when Therese laughed at the unstylish dresses. _There’s my girl!_

Richard had an almost empty liquor box in his trunk. The women stuffed their bloodied clothes into the Jim Beam box when they first disrobed. When they got back to the car, Carol handed the box to him and asked, “Can you burn these?”

“Yes, ma’am, consider it done.”

He tromped down to the creek bank, squirted lighter fluid on clothes, and set them ablaze. He dropped some dry driftwood on top to help intensify the flames. There had been one last bottle of Beam in the box. The women took turns sipping from the bottle as Richard tended the fire. Carol said, “Look, Therese,” and pointed at a snaking column of black smoke on the western horizon.

Therese murmured, “Well, it’s taking them towards heaven, but I hope it rains them down into Hell.”

Richard returned to the car and reported to Carol, “It’s all gone.”

Carol pointed west and asked, “Did you see that, Richard?”

“Yep, that sure is going to make the papers over the weekend.”

Carol gave Therese a worried glance. She had fallen sound asleep on the backseat.

Richard optimistically whispered, “Y’all shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Steele was an independent operator. He wasn’t part of any big mob or the like, and y’all got his whole crew plus one. The stoops like me sure won’t miss him. You’ve done the world a service. Hey, can I ask you something, Carol?”

“Go ahead.”

“Where did that Luger come from?”

Carol recounted a condensed history of the piece.

“So, it’s been sitting in a box fully loaded for four years?”

“Yes. Why is that unusual?”

“It’s just that Lugers can be notoriously unreliable, and automatics aren’t fond of being put away fully loaded and forgotten.”

“I don’t have much to thank Daddy for, but I guess his spirit was with me and that pistol today.”

“I guess so.”

Richard eased them back onto the road and drove slowly to keep from waking Therese. Carol and Richard talked and decided it would be best for him to drop them near the first cab they spotted. After they parked, he handed Carol a hundred dollar bill and two hundred dollars in tens and twenties. She said, “No, I don’t want that dirty money.”

For the first time, he spoke firmly to Carol, “Look, those thugs owe you for new clothes, and I insist on repaying you for the car repairs.”

She paused.

“C’mon, Carol, take it for Therese if nothing else.”

Carol folded the bills and slipped them in her purse. She chuckled, “And cab fare!”

“There ya go.”

Before waking Therese, Carol spontaneously hugged Richard and whispered, “I hated you earlier in the day, but I will give you credit for manning up and coming to me honestly and humbly. Serve your penance by fighting for your country, Richard Semco. Fight for us. Save us from these fascists. Drive to California, sell your car, and join up.”

“That’s a good idea, Miss Aird. I don’t know what you’re going to tell Genevieve, but please tell her I love her.”

“Of course.” Carol glanced at her sleeping killer angel then gently shook Therese’s leg. “Therese, wake up, dear.”

The women of Mrs. Cleary’s must have all been out on the town at a quarter past eight when Carol and Therese entered the foyer. Carol walked to the fruit bowl and picked out two ripe pears. They went to their room and silently ate the fruit. Therese curled up on her side and cried. Carol cuddled up behind her and held her tight. She soon joined Therese in tears. They eventually fell asleep, but the first of many nightmares began that night, for both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/9VJkNCt)  
> German Luger, P-08


	11. "The Girl in Question"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours in Cincinnati this week. Please enjoy my "Carol 2015 Hallowed Ground Tour" on YouTube. To view the video on YouTube, copy and paste this link to your browser.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QTE77E7xpM
> 
> A BIG chapter!  
> [](https://imgur.com/Dr9cjf7)  
> 

Carol pointed her father’s Luger at Johnny’s left eye. It wouldn’t fire. She squeezed and squeezed the trigger aiming at one hood after the other, but no deadly bullets emerged from the pistol's muzzle. Steele flipped his money table up off its legs and sent it smashing into Carol. She fell backward, sprawling on the floor. Still maintaining a death grip on the pistol, Carol kept pointing and squeezing. The three hoods loomed over her. Carol could hear Therese’s muffled screams in the background. She glanced between Steele’s legs to see Peewee slinging Therese to the ground like a rag doll. Carol almost casually glanced at the Luger and read “GESICHERT” above her thumb. She shifted her thumb to the safety lever, but Roddy kicked the weapon from her hand with finger breaking force. The three monsters roared with laughter.

“Carol! Wake up, Carol! Carol!”

Carol slammed into consciousness. Wringing wet in a cold sweat, she continued to scream aloud. Therese squeezed Carol’s biceps and shook her. Carol gasped then calmed. Therese released Carol’s arms, then took her love’s left hand in both of her own and hugged it to her sternum. Carol began to sob.

After a minute, Therese heard a knock on her door and the voice of one of the McCarty sisters from across the hall, “Carol … Therese, is everything okay?”

Loud enough to be heard through the door, Therese announced, “We’re fine, Jill! Carol had a nightmare.”

“Can we get y’all anything?”

“No, it’s all okay now. I’ll sit with her until she falls back asleep. Please go back to bed.”

With a tone of reluctance, Jill McCarty murmured, “Well, okay, but it sounded horrible.”

Carol weakly spoke, “I’m sorry, Jill.”

Therese went to the dresser and recovered Carol’s fifth of bourbon. She poured a finger in Carol’s bedside glass and held it up to her lips. Carol grasped the glass and drained it in a single swallow. She handed Therese the glass and collapsed on her side, curling into a fetal position. Therese sat up by her girlfriend with a hand on Carol’s shoulder. She softly hummed a lullaby until Carol began the slow, steady breathing of sleep. Therese was scared to nod off; they had been in opposite states just the night before.

*****

Carol was back in her classroom in August, looking forward to a challenging school year. The workers flooding into Mobile often had families, so Mobile’s schools swelled above capacity. Carol felt tackling the problem head-on was her contribution to the war effort. Therese had become quite close to a group of the younger girls at the boarding house. They all worked hard but enjoyed letting their hair down. Therese loved escaping the troubles of the war by partying around the overcrowded port city. She asked Carol to join in a few times, then resigned herself to going alone. Carol always had tests to grade, papers to read, or the teacher simply wanted to sleep. While Therese missed her lover’s company out and about, she found the intensity of their lovemaking growing exponentially. Their weekend walks and movie dates were faithfully kept and enjoyed.

Still, Therese felt Carol slipping into a morose, and it worried her greatly. Carol would say, “No, no, sweetheart, I’m fine. Now you run along with the girls and have fun. I’ll finish these report cards, wash my hair, and just turn in early.”

*****

On a rainy Saturday morning in September, Therese heard a knock and opened their door to find Daisy. In a low voice, the cook said, “Miss Therese, there’s a colored boy at the back door askin’ to see ya … sez his name is Tommy.”

Carol overheard and asked, “Tommy Liner?”

Daisy seemed almost surprised by the ladies’ reaction. “Well, he didn’t say his last name.”

Carol blurted, “Therese, let me slip my shoes on, and I’ll come down with you.”

They followed Daisy down to the kitchen, and in the shelter of the back porch found Therese’s rain-soaked brother.

Daisy stepped back in the kitchen, embarrassed when the white women hugged the black teen. They sat Tommy down at the little worktable that occupied the east corner of the screened porch. The thunder had stopped, but the rain was still pouring down. They had to speak somewhat loudly to be heard above the cacophony.

Therese asked, “Tommy, what are you doing here? Is something wrong with Momma or Tater?”

“Naw, Therese. I just wanted to say goodbye before I leave.”Carol, “Leave?”

“Yes, Miss Aird, Momma finally signed for me to join the navy.”

Therese cried, “Oh, Tommy, you’re so young. You’re only 17!”

“I know, Sis, but I want to go. I gotta do my part.”

Carol frowned, “Young man, you’ll have plenty of time to do your part. Why? You’ve not even finished high school."

“Y’all, it’s comin’ anyway. They say they ’bout to lower the draft from 21 to 18.”

Therese desperately glanced at Carol.

Carol nodded, “He’s right on that one, Therese.”

“Yes, ma’am, and one of Mrs. Wallace’s past students, Buford Williams, has been in the navy for a while. He has helped me. What ya might say, ‘Eased the process.’”

“Do you report today?” asked Therese.

“I do. There is a train leaving the terminal at noon. I started to stay there and wait after my train came in earlier… but I just had to see ya, Therese.”

Resolved to the state of affairs, Therese smiled, “I’m glad you did, Tommy.”

Daisy must have been listening. She now felt emotionally tied to the group on the back porch. Daisy brought a tray supporting three cups of coffee, cream, sugar, and three of her special cinnamon rolls. She also handed Tommy a towel.

The three of them talked, laughed, and cried until Tommy departed. Imbued with the women’s hugs, he was ready to go. The rain had stopped. He stepped into the kitchen to thank Daisy. The cook, caught up in the moment, hugged him as well, then presented him with a sack lunch.

Carol and Therese waved to the boy, then he was gone. They turned to Daisy, and the three women exchanged glances. Seemingly reading the roommate’s minds, Daisy chimed, “Now I know something nobody else does and will never hear a word about from me.” She turned and swayed back into her kitchen. Therese and Carol looked at one another and chuckled.

*****

On Friday, October 2, 1942, Therese bounced into Mrs. Cleary’s. It had been a tough week at work but a good one. She was excited about the two days off; engineering was still caught up on their projects. Fore was in the parlor. Therese smiled at her and waved. Fore returned the gestures but sheepishly. Therese, in a hurry to see Carol, passed the suspicious greeting off, hoping that Fore was just suffering a bad day.

Therese opened the door to #24 and was surprised not to find Carol. She had not seen her on the ground floor either. Therese abruptly noticed that Carol’s personal possessions were missing from the room. Even Carol’s colorful bedspread and pillowcase were gone. Therese noticed an envelope on the dresser. She closed and locked their door, walked to the dresser, and read the single handwritten word on the envelope, “Therese.”

Therese lifted the letter and continued to stare at her name as she numbly sat down on the foot of her bed. She slipped her thumbnail along the seal and pulled the letter. She unfolded it and began to read from Carol’s exquisite hand:

_Dearest,_

_Please forgive me for not saying goodbye in person. At this point, I could not have left you face to face, yet I must go._

_My principal, Mr. Gant, called me in just after roll call this morning. I feared something was afoot as he had a substitute ready to take my homeroom. In a nutshell, it seems someone had come to him and stated that they suspected me of a moral infraction. The party claimed that I was in an intimate relationship with a younger woman, and furthermore, the girl in question was my roommate at Mrs. Cleary’s Boarding House for Women._

_Mr. Gant, distraught to the point of tears, suggested I should probably resign. He stated that the reporting party, a parent of two of our students, wanted to avoid an embarrassing investigation. They would drop the matter if I ‘simply disappear’ after tendering my resignation._

_Darling, I could not deny the truth. I could not fight this. I have packed my trunk and suitcase, and after calling long distance to confirm a standing offer, I am traveling to Washington D.C. to work on Mrs. Roosevelt’s Education Initiative. I will be a Federal employee. It is a low profile position but one of considerable challenge and importance. I am telling you alone about this work. Please keep my job change our secret. I hope the accuser will honor their promise and forget me now that I have left Mobile. I will write you with an address at some point, a time at which I feel no cloud from this mean attack has followed me. I will be very busy with this new job, and some travel is involved. I will not telephone the boarding house as someone else would probably answer and recognize my voice; I would rather avoid such an encounter for the near future. Therese, it breaks my heart to tell you that there must be no contact between us. I will send you an anonymous postcard from a random town to signal that I am safe and sound._

_You may see such distance as cruel. I hope not. Nothing could be farther from my intent. Therese, I love you and have every intention of eventually spending the rest of my life with you. Please forgive me. I know many will seek your heart, and although my own would be broken, I would understand your pursuit of a safer, ‘normal’ life. I must counter that our love is not normal; it is extraordinary. This morning’s kiss lingers._

_Love,_

_Carol_

_PS As we well know, Mobile has many souls, both good and evil. Be smart and careful, my love._

Therese collapsed. She did not go down for supper. Abby knocked on her door at nine. Therese reluctantly let her in. Abby saw the letter still clutched in Therese’s hand. Abby stated, “I talked with Fore. She said she was off for today because repairs shut down her office. Fore told me she saw Carol leaving with considerable baggage in the early afternoon. The cabby came in to help Carol load that big trunk of hers.”

“She’s gone, Abby. That’s all I can say.” Abby’s eyes conveyed that she knew the nature of the reason as only another kindred heart would.

Abby let Therese skip breakfast on Saturday, but around ten, she knew what she needed to do. Abby somewhat forcefully urged Therese to rise, bathe, dress, and come down for lunch. Fore, Penelope, and Abby hovered over their friend. They consoled yet leavened Therese.

The promised postcard from “Martha” came a week later postmarked Arlington, Virginia. Therese’s hours without Carol turned into days, the days into weeks, and weeks into months.

Along the way, Fore’s roommate got fired from her job and returned to Memphis, so Fore huddled with Therese and Mrs. Cleary. Fore moved in with Therese, and two women from the waiting list took Fore’s vacated room. Therese liked being alone for a few days, but it was fun having a roommate again.

Fore had dated Dannie McElroy a few times before he joined the Marines. She received a letter from him on Halloween Day that Phil had been severely wounded at Guadalcanal. Phil lost his left arm. A Japanese officer severed it from Phil’s shoulder during a Banzai charge. Dannie killed the sword-wielding enemy with his bayonet. Phil would be back in Mobile after convalescence and rehabilitation. Anticlimactically, Therese received the same news from Dannie in a letter the following week. The two girls found humor in the fact that Dannie had no clue they were now sharing a room. The wartime correspondences took about a month to arrive.

Therese’s heartbreak led her through swings of emotion. Sometimes she would cheerfully think of Carol and wonder what her love was up to in some distant city. Other times she would go dark and think that the mopey Carol had wanted an excuse to leave her. Glad to be rid of the silly girl, Carol lived an intriguing new life with mysterious new friends and possibly lovers. No, that would not be the case, she thought. Then the next day, the ghosts of doubt would haunt her again.

On a mild Saturday in November, almost half the boarders put together a girls-only clambake for their favorite beach on Dauphin Island. This time they toted a hand-cranked record player and a stack of the best from Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. Therese was having an especially good time dancing with one of the new girls who now occupied Fore’s old room.

Phyllis Hughes was from Birmingham, Alabama. She was eighteen, vivacious, yet seductively coy. Therese recognized the girl’s gaze. Therese had acquired the ability to spot two kinds of Sapphics in Mobile. Initial exchanges were very similar, but the true lesbians like Abby, Carol, and herself would reveal their sexuality in manner and tone. A wartime phenomenon was the horny spouse or girlfriend of an overseas serviceman. The latter saw having sex with another man as “cheating,” but she could rationalize an affair with another woman as being “okay.” A walk on the beach proved that Phyllis was the real deal. The petite woman had a gorgeous bronze tan from a summer of lifeguarding at a Birmingham public pool. Her white shorts and tied off work shirt were uniquely her own. Curly brown hair cascaded around her face and shoulders to surround cheery lips and seductive hazel eyes. Around the point and own their own, the conversation turned especially emotional as Phyllis told of last spring’s breakup with her high school boyfriend. Suddenly she was kissing Therese. The lonely Therese swam in it for a moment then stepped away, fleeing the luscious pixie.

“Therese, I’m sorry … I thought … well—”

“It’s okay, Phyllis. You did nothing wrong. It’s me … I ... I’m in love with someone else. I apologize for leading you on.”

“You didn’t lead me on, Therese. You were kind to me and caring. Not many down here in this stewpot have treated me like that. And… I must say… you’re beautiful.”

“Oh, girl … words can’t express how ravishing you are.”

“Thank you. Hey, whoever this woman is? She’s one lucky gal.”

Therese slyly chuckled, “How do you know it’s a woman?”

“Give me a break, Belivet!”

Therese grabbed Phyllis’s hand and pulled her to the edge of the surf. Then she yelled, “Race you back, P!”

“We have to stay in the water?”

“Of course, silly!”

“Go!”

The two girls splashed through the one-inch surf at full tilt. The lifeguard gained a lead until a surge deepened the water and tripped her up to go sprawling. Instead of racing past her, Therese stopped and gave her a hand up. They laughed at how soaked, and sandy Phyllis was.

Phyllis softly asked, “Are you sure?”

Unhesitatingly but gently, Therese replied, “Yes, sweet thing, I’m sure.”

Therese was stunned when Phyllis screamed aloud. Phyllis backed away, pointing over Therese’s shoulder. Therese turned to see a body rolling in with the surf. They went and got the others. It was the body of a merchant marine. They had heard rumors of U-boats torpedoing freighters as they entered or exited Mobile Bay. The violence of war had come home.”

*****

Fore and Therese went to meet Phil’s train the day before Thanksgiving. After initial care in California, Sgt. McElroy requested and received a transfer to the U. S. Marine Hospital in Mobile. The women took him for a steak and drinks. Phil had the best of attitudes considering the loss of his “friend.” Therese and Fore made sure Phil found a hotel room in the busy city, then they caught a trolley home.

As they walked the block to Mrs. Cleary’s, Therese worried about Dannie. Phil had received the most recent correspondence from Dannie, and he was still “catching Hell” at Guadalcanal. Therese forced the worry from her mind. She always thought Dannie was the charmed one. She confidently imagined Dannie coming home at war’s end with sergeant’s chevrons and a chest full of medals. Therese said to Fore, “He’ll be fine, Fore. Dannie will be fine.”

Fore went into the sitting room, but Therese wandered to the kitchen. All hands were on deck in the busy space prepping for the next day’s massive feast. Birdie coaxed, “Miss Therese, come taste this stuffing… is it alright.”

Therese took the spoon and took a few analytical nibbles before putting the spoon in her mouth and sweeping it clean. She chewed and grinned.

Birdie chuckled, “So, it's alright?”

Therese swallowed then corrected, “No, it’s not alright. It’s stupendous!”

Birdie laughed to the others, “Ya hear that, girls. Therese Belivet sez it’s ‘stupendous,’ so that’s that.”

Three dozen of the boarders attended Thanksgiving dinner the next day. A few went home, and a couple of the nurses had shifts they couldn’t swap. Mrs. Cleary put up plates for the nurses; they would have a scrumptious meal upon their return that evening. Rationing presented quite a challenge for the staff, but Mrs. Cleary shrewdly planned for this meal and the upcoming Christmas dinner for months.

After the meal, Therese went up to her room and cried. She spoke to her love, “Carol, where are you? How are you? What are you doing? I’m so pissed at you!” She thought about how cute Phyllis looked at dinner. “No, you love Carol, you ninny, and you know it. She’ll be back for me.”

Exasperated, Therese went to the bathroom to wash her face and hands. Low and behold, Phyllis was just finishing brushing her teeth. “Therese, what’s wrong, hon?”

Therese went to the sink and started the water. Waiting for it to warm, she started crying again.

Phyllis came to her side with a hand towel. She pushed Therese to the marble bench in the corner and gently had her sit down. Phyllis went to soak then wring out the towel at the sink. She returned to Therese. “Here, darlin’, let me clean that pretty face.”

Therese looked at Phyllis while still sup-supping. Phyllis pulled the warm, wet cloth across her forehead then down the sides of her face. Phyllis returned to the sink to freshen it. She came back and had Therese lean her head back against the cool ceramic tiled wall. Phyllis draped the towel over Therese’s face and let the heat and moisture work its magic. After a couple of minutes, she repeated it.

Phyllis sat down on the bench next to Therese and held her hand, patting it gently. “Lady, this girlfriend of yours has you all messed up. My roomie is out of town. Why don’t you slip down to my room and let me make this all go away for a little while.” She moved her hand to the inside of Therese’s knee. “You don’t even have to do me back. C’mon, sugar pie.”

Phyllis stood while still holding Therese’s hand. She gently pulled Therese up. “Atta girl, c’mon with P.” Phyllis cautiously checked the hall. She saw s shoulder going into a room, and that door closed. Quickly she began to lead Therese to #19.

Therese halted and pulled her hand free. She back stepped to her own #24, and without a word or glance, Therese entered and closed the door. She turned the lock.

*****

Mid-afternoon of Friday, November 27th, Therese was frantically taking shorthand. The engineers were having a contentious planning session in their meeting room. She finally had to speak up and suggest they take a water and potty break. The chief engineer laughed, “Momma T is right. Take five, you lugs. As the men filtered back in, Therese was caught up and ready for round two. Benny, their smart-aleck office boy, slipped in and called out, “Belivet!” He reached across the corner of the table to hand her a small envelope then added, “Hand delivered… swank!”

She shot him a frown as she took the card. Therese glanced at the face and once again read her own name in Carol’s hand. _Oh my God!_ The men were starting again. Her heart raced as she slipped the envelope into the back of her steno pad.

At a quarter to four, she was typing up the notes. She kept glancing down at Carol’s correspondence. Finally, she stopped typing and used her letter opener to cut the seam. She pulled the plain card and flipped it open. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and read:

_Dearest Therese,_

_Would you possibly be free to meet me for tea this evening?_

_Battle House Hotel, Friday, December 11 th, at 6:30 pm._

_I understand if you cannot._

_Love,_

_Carol_

Therese shook her head then tore the card into pieces and dropped them in her wastebasket.

She finished up the ponderous notes at half-past five, and it was close to six by the time she cleared the vast complex. She had just missed the trolley headed to the area of town she lived in. The ADDSCO employees were pouring out of the gates. The downtown bus pulled up. Spontaneously, she darted on board and got the last seat. She wavered about whether or not to get off when it passed the Battle House. She put her head down into her hands and whispered, “I miss you. I miss you.”

The massive old structure loomed ahead. Therese stood and walked to the driver. She asked him to let her out at the hotel. She paused at its entrance. Nervously clenching her fingers, she entered and stepped to the lobby restaurant. She did not see Carol. Therese checked her watch. It was half-past six.

A waitress asked, “May I help you, ma’am?”

“Yes, I’m meeting a lady here … honey blonde hair, glasses, mid-thirties—”

“Oh, Mrs. Aird?”

Surprised, Therese answered, “Yes.”

“She’s at a table over here. She stepped out to use the phone in the lobby. She said she would be right back.”

Therese followed the woman to a table. It held a tea service, watercress sandwiches, and a couple of sugar cookies.

“May I pour, ma’am?”

“Certainly … thank you.”

As the woman poured, she said, “I had Miss Aird for English the first year she came to Mobile. I recognized her right off this evening… she’s as beautiful as ever.”

Therese smiled and nodded. After the waitress walked away, Therese added a sugar cube and milk to the tea. There were only two cubes on the saucer. Rationing had even hit the high and mighty Battle House. A few months ago, she would have left both cubes for the sweet-toothed Carol and drank bitter tea.

Therese heard footsteps. She glanced up to find an immaculately dressed and coiffured Carol Aird gazing at her with those mesmerizing blue eyes, the eyes that always shot right to Therese’s soul.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“Don’t say that.”

Carol sat down across from Therese. The waitress stepped up and poured Carol’s tea. Carol spoke, “Thank you, Tammy.”

“Anything else, Miss Aird?”

Carol shot a questioning glance at Therese. Therese shook her head. Carol replied to Tammy, “No, dear. I think we’re fine.”

“Good, just let me know.”

“Certainly.”

Carol was fixed on Therese. She asked, “Do you hate me, Therese?”

“No, how could I hate you?”

Carol went quiet, dropped the cube in her tea, and followed it with a splash of milk. She took a sip. Therese did as well.

I called Abby earlier at the plant. It took some doing to get through to her, but I finally did. She says you are thriving. Darling, you look so fine. You’re all grown up. That hair cut is charming, and your suit is to die for.”

Therese blushed and glanced down at her tea. She nervously picked up a cookie but didn’t take a bite. She just placed it on her plate.

Therese couldn’t explain to her own mind why she seemed unable to converse with Carol. Carol! The woman she loved more than life itself. _What are you doing, Therese?_

Carol, now hurt, nervously continued, “Anyway, I was at a meeting in New Orleans. I came back through Mobile to see you.”

“Why now?”

“Therese, I’m sorry … I can see I’ve hurt you … badly.”

“You think so?”

Carol was seriously fighting back tears. She regained her composure and took another sip of the tea. She gently coughed as it hit her contracted throat.

Therese felt guilt. She blurted, “I understand why you left, Carol, but I do not know why you had to cut me off totally.”

“I can see now that it was wrong. I thought my plan was simple.”

“Oh, it was simple enough. Simple for you.”

Carol pulled her cigarette case from her purse and offered Therese one. Therese shook her head. Carol took one then lifted her lighter. She took a long draw on the smoke and sighed.

“Why did you want to see me, Carol?”

Carol gazed at Therese intently, and as if she were a lawyer taking the last shot at a jury, she began. “My work is going very well, Therese. I greatly enjoy it. They found me a nice apartment in Washington… it’s big enough for two. And believe it or not, they have encouraged me to hire a personal assistant. I thought you might like to come live and work with me. The work might be grueling at times, but it’s important. We could have a lot of fun, too. But you probably wouldn’t want to…” Carol tapped her ashes into the cigarette tray, then she asked, “Would you?”

Therese had a war going on in her mind, but she could only calmly stare at Carol. Finally, from some dark place, she murmured, “No, I don’t think so.”

Carol’s face sank. With a hint of suppressed desperation, Carol tried again, “I know you may have plans for tonight, but I’m staying here. My train leaves in the morning. Abby and Penelope are meeting me here in the Trellis Room at nine for dinner … my treat. Would you join us? I’ve reserved a table for four.

Therese was so upset all she could manage was a whispered, “No.”

Carol’s expression fell even lower. Carol dejectedly said, “That’s that.” Crushed, she gazed at Therese.

Therese returned it with the intensity of a fire.

Carol softly said, “I love you.”

Therese wanted to reach across the table and pull Carol up to kiss her. Yes, right on the mouth and in front of the world.

“Therese, is that you?” called Jack Taft from behind Therese.

Therese snapped her head around at the sound of her name being called.

Jack laughed, “That is you … I thought, ‘I know that girl’!”

“Jack!”

“It’s been what, weeks?”

“Weeks.”

“You look great, Therese.”

“Thank you … Jack, this is Carol Aird.”

Jack extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Carol looked him in the eye and shook his hand. “Likewise.”

Jack turned back to Therese and asked, “Hey, a bunch of us are meeting up to go over to Phil’s party. You’re going, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes, but I was jus—”

Carol cut her off, “You two run along.” She placed her cigarette case and lighter back in her purse.

Therese caught the actions and somewhat disappointedly asked Carol, “Are you sure?”

“Of course … I’ve got to make some calls before dinner anyway.”

Therese hesitantly turned back to Jack, “Well, sure … I’d appreciate a ride.”

“Great!”

Carol slipped a bill under the waitress's check to cover their tea. She stood.

Therese watched her anxiously.

Carol stepped to Therese’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder. With a gentle squeeze, Carol said, “You two have a wonderful night.” Once again, Carol shook Jack’s hand, saying, “Nice to meet you, Jack.”

“Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

Therese despondently gazed to her front.

Jack patted her other shoulder and said, “I’ll go call and see where those goofballs are at.”

Therese stood and turned. She glanced about to see if Carol was still in sight. Carol was gone.

Therese finished the daydream of her life as their taxi pulled up at the city mansion of Bonner Lambert. He was a wealthy shipping merchant whose son served with Phil and Dannie in the Marine Corps. 1st Lieutenant Gordon Lambert had written his father from the sweaty jungles of Guadalcanal and asked his “Daddy” to throw a party for Phil. Phil had twice saved Gordon’s life.

Several women from Mrs. Cleary’s in attendance, and Therese recognized dozens of other folks she knew. She worked her way through the crowded room and hugged Phil. He said, “Therese! I’m glad you made it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, Phil.”

“Hey, I got a letter from Richard today. Get this! He joined the army in California, but now he is a tanker training at Fort Knox.”

“Where they keep all the gold?”

“Yes … isn’t that crazy?”

Some perfumed platinum blonde bounced in front of Therese and kissed Phil. He embarrassedly wiped her lipstick from his lips and winked at Therese as she backed away to give others a shot at him.

Therese had done what she came for. She had seen Phil. Now she stood aimlessly and miserably in a corner. She spotted Phyllis entering. The girl didn’t even know Phil, but she was never one to miss a good party, and she was part of the group now. A tall redhead was with her, older but beautiful. Therese caught Phyllis, glancing at her. Therese gestured to Phyllis’s date and then winked at the lifeguard. Phyllis laughed and shrugged.

Therese moved just to be moving. She smiled, thinking that Phyllis may have found her Carol. Carol! I have a Carol, a Carol that obviously loves me and wants me enough to live an incredibly complicated life with me. _Therese, she did what she felt she had to do._ _She thought I understood. Sure, she could have given more thought to the empty space she left me in. Goddammit, Therese, she lost her career, the work she loved. Carol moved in that decisive way she always does, just like the day she took her Daddy’s pistol and shot her way through a gang of murdering rapists to save me._

Therese found herself outside of the Lambert home. She was running for a cab in the darkness. It was a block away. Frustratingly, it raced off in the other direction. Therese began to walk dejectedly. A cab slipped up beside her, and the driver hollered, “Hey, sweetie, need a lift?”

Therese got to the Battle House and raced to the Trellis Room. The maître d’ was working with a wealthily dressed couple, but he glanced at Therese. She blurted. I’m looking for someone.”

“Ma’am, I can’t seat you without a reservation!”

Therese smiled and shot by the distracted maître d’. She kept moving deeper into the magnificent room. Her head, like a turret, sought her love. She first spotted Abby, lovely Abby, with the million-dollar smile and a cigarette poised in her hand. Sitting next to Abby was Carol. Carol Aird, the love of Therese’s life.

Carol must have detected the movement of an approaching figure. She glanced up at Therese, and their eyes met. She cautiously assessed Therese. Therese smiled. Carol’s head tilted inquisitively. Upon perceiving the confirmation of Therese’s love and forgiveness, Carol smiled with the relief of a restored heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Readers, I can end it here, but I changed the opening (Jack) from 1945 to 1942, intending to take them to Washington and finish the war. I have enjoyed stories that open with a flashback, catch you up, then take you further. It would become a considerably longer story, novel-length. I might bring Con back, still as a positive character. 
> 
> The title might become a bit lost after this point, but I’d hate to change it.
> 
> What say you?


	12. “Shall We Start Over?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/FFI86U9)   
> 

“Hello, ladies!”

“Hi T!” chimed Penelope.

There were four chairs at the square table. Abby sat to Carol’s right, and Penelope sat to Abby’s right. A waiter pulled Therese’s chair and seated her to Carol’s left.

The waiter handed Therese a menu and asked, “Ma’am may I get you a drink?”

Therese glanced at the others, and each had something different. She saw that Carol had one of her favorite martinis.

“Bourbon, neat.”

“Right away, ma’am.”

Penelope squeezed Therese’s hand and giggled, “Isn’t this fun, T?”

Therese nodded and laughed along with Penelope’s enthusiasm.

Abby asked, “So, you went to the party for your friend? Phil… is it?”

“Yes, there was quite the crowd there.”

“Really … and where was this?”

“It was across town at some rich guy’s mansion … a Mr. Lambert.”

Penelope remarked, “Oh, he uses our firm for legal matters. Hey, I met his son once. He is an officer in the Marine Corps… what a dreamboat!”

“That ‘dreamboat’ is one of the commanding officers of Phil and Dannie’s company on Guadalcanal … he’s a 1st lieutenant. Phil saved his life, and he had his daddy host the party for Phil.”

Carol said, “How nice, and what brings your young warrior back to Mobile while the good lieutenant and your Dannie are still in the fight?”

Therese coughed to make sure her voice wouldn’t crack then answered, “Phil’s arm was cut off at the shoulder by a Japanese soldier with one of those horrible Samurai swords. He spent time in field hospitals, a hospital ship, another hospital in California, and now he is rehabilitating here at the Marine Hospital.”

Carol consoled, “Oh, dear … I’m sorry for asking the question that way.”

“It’s fine, Carol. How could you have known?”

“Is he doing well?”

“He is! Phil has the best of attitudes, and he says they should just let him stay in and send him back to his company. Y’all should hear him, ‘I’m a helluva pistol shot. Why I’ll just shoot the Japs with a .45 all the way to Tokyo’.” Therese saw Carol wince. Therese’s right hand was in her lap; she subtly shifted it to Carol’s leg and ever so slightly squeezed it comfortingly.

Carol gave her a thankful smile.

The waiter brought Therese’s bourbon.

Abby lifted her glass, “Here’s to Carol Aird … a good friend through thick and thin.”

Their glasses met in the center of the table.

Carol immediately followed with another toast, “Here’s to the women of Mrs. Cleary’s Boarding House may they work hard, play hard, and thrive!”

“Here, here!” beamed Abby.

They dined on red snapper, rice, and broccoli, then ordered dessert and coffee. With little sugar, the hotel had no cakes or pies, but the chef had done a bang-up job creating a concoction of dried fruit and honey.

After the desserts were consumed and the coffee drained, Therese caught Carol wink at Abby. Abby, in a matter of fact tone, patted Penelope’s arm and said, “P, let’s go catch the gang at Clancy’s … we’ll let these two roomies catch up.”

“Okay … Carol, do you mind?”

“Not at all, P. Give the gals my best.”

Penelope said to Therese, “Oh, T, you’ll have to travel home late and by yourself.”

Carol stated, “No, she won’t. I’ll accompany her home in a cab.”

Penelope was shocked! “Well, how sweet!” She hugged Therese and said, “I’ll catch your act tomorrow, sweetie.” Then she hugged Carol tightly. “Carol, I miss you so very, very much. I hope your travels take you back here often. And thank you for the lovely meal … it was most gracious of you.”

“You’re welcome, Penelope. Take care of Abby … she’s getting old.”

Abby and Carol glared at one another. Abby side hugged Carol, “Ditto on the meal, C,” Abby said to Therese, “There’s no need to give Fore a heads up about you being late, right? Hasn’t she gone home to see her parents for the weekend?”

“That’s right. She made a hit-and-run at Phil’s party then left from there.”

Carol had to fight to keep her grin from spreading.

Carol and Therese waved goodbye to their friends, then sat and smoked in silence.

Therese turned to check out a commotion in the lobby. It was a contingent of rowdy Air Corps officers. They were checking in. She assumed they would be heading up to their rooms, and after sprucing up, hitting the town. When Therese turned back to Carol, Carol slipped her the room key.

Carol whispered, “It’s 432 … hurry, darling. Use those flyboys for cover. I’ll see you in a few after I have another cigarette and pay the bill.”

Therese was off and smiling. She blended with the flight jacketed men to cross the lobby and join four of them in an elevator.

A captain politely held the door as she approached. Upon entering, they gave her a respectable distance but couldn’t help shooting amorous glances at the young heartbreaker. She could tell one of them wanted to say something, but his mother must have raised him right; he held his thought. They exited on three. At four, she stepped out of the lift then paused to get her bearings. The room was a fair distance to the right. She wanted to run while the hall was empty, but she forced herself to maintain a fast-paced walk.

Carol smiled and watched her cigarette burn. The waiter came to collect his “book” and glanced at the contents. “I’ll bring your change, Miss Aird.”

“Keep it, darling … exceptional service, and have a Merry Christmas.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Are you sure I can’t get you anything else?”

“Quite sure … uh, wait … I know the answer will be no, but do you have any champagne?”

“Well, I’m supposed to say no, but I know where they keep two or three chilled bottles.”

Carol handed him a bill and asked, “Will this cover one of them?”

“More than, Miss Aird.”

“Can you bring it up to 432 and leave it at the foot of the door with a knock.”

“Of course, but I’d have to do it now. I have a bit of a gap between tables at the moment.”

“That would be perfect. Oh, would you go ahead and pop the cork for me.”

“Consider it done, Miss Aird.”

Carol strolled to the elevator and pressed 4. After departing the elevator, her heart was pounding with anticipation. She had missed her lover immeasurably. Carol’s thighs ached at the thought of entangling them with Therese’s supple legs. Carol had many exciting things to tell Therese. Still, she feared that sharing them tonight might overwhelm her emotionally bruised country rose. No, “patience,” she thought, “tomorrow” would be better. This night will be for lovemaking, passion, and healing. _A cab,_ she smirked. _There will be no cab tonight, dear Penelope._

Carol gently knocked. Therese opened the door within seconds. Carol walked in, and Therese closed it quietly behind her.

“Hello, Therese”

“Hello, Carol.”

“Shall we start over?”

“Let’s.”

They met in a tight embrace and kissed like it was the first time. Therese had a look of panic when there was a tap-tap at the door.

“Shh, that’s just champagne,” Carol whispered.

Therese brought her hand to her chest with relief.

After listening for the server’s steps to fade, Carol went and cautiously opened the door to find an ice bucket containing a small bottle of champagne and two tulip-shaped glasses.

She grasped the bucket, then closed and double-locked the door. Carol poured them each a glass, and they toasted.

“To us.”

“To us.”

They drank the bubbly and giggled as it tickled their noses.

“Carol, this is so thoughtful, and the room is lovely.”

“I’ve got much to make up for, darling.”

“You’ve nothing to make up for, Carol. As you said, we’ll start over. Tonight… I’ve had time to reflect. When you feel the time is right, I’d love to hear all about where you’ve been and what you’ve seen and done. But for right now … I love you, Carol.”

Carol’s lip quivered with emotion. “Oh, Therese …” She opened her arms, and Therese slipped into them and wrapped her own tightly around Carol.

Therese sparked, “Wait!” She took a step back, eyeing Carol up and down questioningly. She took her hands to Carol’s blouse and started unbuttoning them. Carol chuckled,

“Okay then! I’m in.”

“Hush,” commanded Therese.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Carol stood lovingly and patiently as Therese meticulously disrobed her down to panties, garter belt, and nylons. Therese squeezed Carol’s biceps then gently patted her flat tummy. The girl descended backward to perch on the bed staring at Carol.

Carol laughed.

Therese pondered, “You look and feel like an athlete. What the hell, Carol?”

“It’s simple enough, darling. I started an exercise program.”

“No shit! Dang!”

“This would be best explained accompanied by the other things you mentioned that you would ‘love to hear all about.’”

Still gazing in dazed astonishment, Therese nodded.

Carol stepped up in front of Therese, then lovingly clasped Therese’s face and locked her eyes on Therese’s. “But right now, let’s ‘do that voodoo we do so well.’”

It was Carol’s turn to undress her love. She removed Therese’s clothes. After returning from placing them in a chair, Therese took her face to Carol’s belly. She nuzzled and kissed all around her navel until Carol shook with the sensations. Therese pulled her black undies down and leaned in, tilting her head to bring her mouth to Carol’s clit. Carol moaned as she ran her long fingers through Therese’s hair and across her scalp.

Therese pushed two fingers deep inside Carol to better serve the delicacy she lovingly devoured.

Carol’s legs weakened with the waves of ecstasy. She joyfully collapsed on the bed beside Therese. Therese stood between her legs and quickly pulled Carol’s stockings and garter belt. She grasped Carol’s ankles and lifted them onto the bed. Therese crawled on top, kissing her deeply. Breasts on breasts, Therese worked Carol’s tongue with her own. The young woman had missed this so. She dizzily wondered if this was a dream. Carol’s fingers found Therese’s vulva and brought her to a splendid reality.

Carol propped Therese’s shoulders in pillows on the headboard. Perched on her knees to Therese’s side, Carol kissed Therese’s mouth, neck, and breasts while working her girl’s apex until she had to position her free hand to muffle Therese’s moans and screams.

Around midnight, they took a break and finished the champagne. As Therese took their empty glasses to the dresser, she noted, “This is the first time I’ve had champagne and the first time I’ve ever slept in a hotel.”

Questioning the statement for a moment, Carol realized that they had indeed stayed only in cabins on their little holiday getaways. “Well, sweetheart, I think you’ll have to save ‘slept in a hotel’ for another day. I still have urgent business with that sweet little pussy… so bring it back to bed.”

And Therese did. They did the old and some new. They did it all to each other. Therese got so excited fisting Carol that she began spanking her bottom. Carol laughed with joy. Therese chimed, “You like that, hon? Well, let’s try some more.”

Carol gasped, “Ouch!” but she did not ask her to stop. Her butt cheeks turned hot pink. Therese took gentle bites at the tenderized buns. Carol was exploding in a state of euphoria.

But eventually, they did sleep. At some point, an hour or two before dawn, the lovers collapsed into unconscious bliss.

Therese awoke to find Carol pushing in a room service cart. She had stepped into the hall, signed the employee’s ticket, and then entered with the cart.

I ordered one huge breakfast. I bet they think I’m a pig. They shared scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and jelly. The side of hotcakes was delicious. Their orange juice was not fresh-squeezed, but it was tasty, and the coffee was divine.

Therese saw that it almost eleven. “What time is your train?”

“Three.”

“Oh.”

“Let’s talk.”

“Okay.”

They sat cross-legged on the bed facing one another and holding hands.

“First, let me say that I’ve not heard anything else about the situation at the high school. Have you?”

“No … not a word.”

“Good. Through confidential sources, I heard that the school principal announced that I had a critically ill family member and had to leave and take care of them. Actually, I’m grateful to him.”

"I guess."

“I arrived in Washington late on Saturday, October 3rd. My contact had instructed me to report to the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. They had a room reserved for me. I was told to rest on Sunday then wait for a Monday morning call, the 5th. The call came around ten. My contact said he would send a car for me at one. I went down early, a quarter-to-ten. A black sedan pulled up exactly on the hour, and a driver stepped out and asked me, ‘Miss Aird?'.”

He drove me to the White House, Therese!”

“No! Really?”

“Yes … I was terrified in one way and elated in the other.”

My contact met me at the car and escorted me to a small meeting room on the first floor. My heart stopped when he said, ‘The First Lady will be with you shortly.’”

“Eleanor Roosevelt?”

“Yes. Oh, Therese, she’s the sweetest, most intelligent woman I’ve ever met. Well, next to you.”

Therese gently slapped Carol’s knee.

“I had met her twice, just briefly, at that conference. She said she was impressed with my presentation on the war’s challenges to public education.”

“My goodness, Carol.”

“I know. She and I worked two hours every afternoon for the first week, assembling a list of questions and observations for me to compile into a guide. She had the guide bound and three copies printed: one for her, one for me, and one for the President.”

“Carol!”

“I know! Can you believe it? Anyway, here’s what she has me doing. I travel to designated cities and towns. Mrs. Roosevelt assigns me a list of destinations in a certain region. We discuss them at length before I depart and on my return. I meet with superintendents of education, teachers, and school staff members, and the like. I cover the questions and make the observations; the guide is my bible. I take copious notes then compile them into a report with a chapter or section on each location. I present the written report the day I return, and within a day or two, she calls to meet with me and discuss the report in more detail. I can tell she has always read the report in its entirety. Her questions are concise and relevant. Oh, Therese, her comments and reactions can be profound.”

“Did you know you would be work directly with her when you left.”

“No, not a clue. I thought I would be with some team reading newspaper articles and education journals and then meeting to discuss our findings to recommend change. That would have been all well and good … I guess. But, Therese, this is so much better. She wants as little filter as possible. She wants the facts, but not only the facts. She asks my opinions and seems to read my emotions. Perception is real with her.”

“And you want me to come work with you?”

“Absolutely, darling! I need a typist, the best, and a note-taker, with shorthand skills. And more than that, I need a second set of eyes, a witness, and … a companion. Therese, it’s lonely and sometimes scary out there on the road and in those schools. Some of them are pretty rough, but the kids are precious in general. They are our future.”

Therese sat wringing her hands.

Carol grasped her hands, “Oh, you always do that when you’re unsure or nervous. Tell me what you’re thinking, sweetheart.”

“It sounds so exciting and challenging. I think I’d love it, especially the fact that I would be with you. It’s just that it would be so much change and so very fast.”

“Yes, but you can handle it. I know you think the world of your job and your fellow workers. I know you love the women at Mrs. C’s. Just think though, Therese, you’re leaving will open doors and provide opportunities for other women here in Mobile. By the way, Mrs. Roosevelt had no questions when I suggested we skip Mobile. I told her I could write a complete summary of the entire south Alabama area from personal experience.”

“That’s good. Well, can I work out a notice?”

“Certainly … it would only be proper.”

“Okay, I’m in.”

“Wait, there’s more.”

“What?”

“You can certainly keep a secret, Therese.”

“How so?”

“Monday, the week of Thanksgiving, I was having lunch at the Willard; they paid for my room and food there until I got the apartment last week. It was one of those in-between days on which I am just waiting to hear from the First Lady. A gentleman must have been waiting for me to finish. As I left the lobby café and entered the elevator, he joined me. He and I exchanged pleasantries, and then he said, ‘Miss Aird, I’m Special Agent Connor Slate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.’ I was taken aback, but he anticipated that and quickly presented his FBI badge. He asked, ‘Can we talk for a few minutes about an issue of national security?’ The door opened to my floor. I agreed and asked where? He suggested we go back down to the lounge. It was almost empty at that time of day. He ordered coffee and offered a cigarette. We smoked and talked for an hour.”

“He told you about me and my work for the FBI?”

“Just vaguely, but three hoorahs for you, my brave girl!”

Therese blushed.

Carol grinned at the display of emotion. “Con and his folks seem to know everything about everybody… almost. He knew that my work with Mrs. Roosevelt would conclude in a few months. He hoped that I would consider working for him upon its completion. He wanted me to help him recruit you as well. Actually, I think that’s the main reason he contacted me.”

“Me! Crap! I thought I was done with all that.”

“We don’t have to make up our minds right away, Therese. I just wanted to be upfront with it.”

“Don’t tell me … that’s why you’re getting in shape.”

“Yes, but I like the way it makes me feel, strong and healthy, with so much energy!”

“I'll say! You were something else in the sack.”

Carol reared her head back and laughed.

After a moment, Therese uttered, “Con…”

“He’s certainly the complete package, huh?”

Therese chuckled, “Yes, he is that.”

“What do you think the work would be, Therese?”

“What do you think … catchin’ spies or some such scary shit!”

Therese stayed with Carol and accompanied her to the train. Carol paid for the cab to the terminal and added more than enough for Therese’s fare to the boarding house.

Low and out of the cabby’s view, Carol squeezed her hand tightly before she exited the vehicle. The cabby took Carol’s bags to a porter. Carol waved. Therese returned it. She held back the tears until they had pulled away.

The cabby noticed Therese dabbing her hanky at her eyes and nose. He was moved, “Y’all must be close.”

“Like sisters,” Therese lied.


	13. The Potomac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/5cVkSyG)  
>  This green suit is so "Miss Carol Aird."
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/jOxWidS)  
> This "plum pencil dress" inspired me to use it as Therese's gift from the boarders.

On Monday, November 30th, Therese gave her two weeks' notice to ADDSCO. It caused quite the stir on the engineering floor. She had not mentioned it to Abby and the other boarders, so Abby was shocked and saddened when the news reached her department. Abby felt better after she talked to Therese at lunch. At supper, with Abby holding her hand, she told the women that she had accepted a job offer to work with Carol in Washington. After hearing that, they were all saddened yet thrilled for her. Mrs. Cleary and Birdie cried. Carol phoned that night to confirm that Therese had announced her plans.

On Thursday morning, the chief engineer called Therese into his office and handed her a paycheck. “Therese, you said you were going to work for the government in D.C., but you did not mention, for who, you would be working.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, I got a call from on high. It seems Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal assistant has called and requested that we honorably release you from your two-week commitment. What could we say? That check is for these last two weeks, and you are free to leave immediately.”

“But … no, I can’t take that. I haven’t earned it.”

“My, dear, believe me when I say you have.”

“But, sir! My team has so many projects going. I nee—“

“Now, now, Therese, I’ve talked to your team. They all concur. You should take some time to say your goodbyes, carefully pack, and arrive early for that big job.”

The engineers and secretaries of her team had a brand new, leather portmanteau waiting for her. She had mentioned on Monday that she would be traveling a great deal. One of her secretary friends had tied a pretty bow on the luggage. Another had a hanky at the ready.

Mrs. Cleary, Birdie, Daisy, and the boarders had passed the hat as well. They threw a party for Therese on Friday night. She was scheduled to leave in the morning. They also had a gift for Therese. Abby urged Fore and Penelope to pick something non-work related. They purchased her a classy, plum-colored pencil dress. The gathering held their breath when Therese stepped into the downstairs restroom to try it on. She emerged, grinning. Penelope’s eye held true; it fit Therese to a T. Birdie, and Daisy outdid themselves on a white cake, and Abby, Penelope, and Fore got a waiver from Mrs. Cleary to concoct a wicked punch. They played records, sang, danced, and laughed until after ten. Therese floated upstairs with a mixed sense of euphoria and melancholy.

The next morning, Mrs. Cleary fired up her old Lincoln to drive Therese to the train terminal. Abby rode along. On the platform, Abby was too emotional to speak. She hugged Therese and kissed her cheek. Mrs. Cleary hugged her “girl” and whispered, “If Carol and you are ever passing through Mobile and can’t find lodging, come see me; I’ll put y’all up in my personal quarters.”

Therese traveled to Thomasville. Mrs. Wallace picked her up and took her to stay with Lucy and Tater for the weekend. They planned to celebrate Christmas early. Therese was elated by the surprise of finding Tommy at home. He had finished basic training up north and was home on leave through Christmas. Tommy busied himself chopping a winter supply of wood for Lucy and Tater while the women prepared a pre-Christmas feast. They had baked ham, green beans, fried okra, sweet potatoes, canned pineapple, and a pecan pie. Therese had remembered to buy Lucy’s “fancy” rolls in Mobile. Mrs. Wallace eagerly accepted Lucy’s invitation to celebrate with them.

Lucy and Tater laughed at Tommy’s gift to Therese. She opened the slim little box to find a Case three-blade pocketknife. Tommy exclaimed, “Shoot! Sis might need a good knife someday, and that’s the best.”

“I’m sure I will, Tommy. I love it. Thank you!” After passing it around, it made its way back to Therese, and she carefully slipped it into her purse.

Tommy wore his winter, dress blue “sailor suit” for the meal. The ladies thought he looked grand. Tommy wanted to serve on a warship, but like many of his fellow black sailors, he had been assigned to Ordnance. Therese silently fretted over her brother handling tons of explosives, bombs, and shells.

Mrs. Wallace drove all of them to Thomasville on Monday to see Therese off. Tommy carried her big suitcase for her. They were beyond proud to think of Therese working for their beloved First Lady. Therese waved to them from her window as they left. Seated across the aisle, a white couple must have witnessed the goodbye. They scowled at her. Therese ignored them and settled in for the long ride to the next chapter of her life.

*****

Snowstorms along the way slowed her trip. Therese did not arrive in Washington until Wednesday afternoon. Carol had a telephone in their new apartment, and she’d frequently been checking at Union Station. It was spitting snow, but Carol was waiting for Therese on the platform. They avoided a kiss but shared a warm hug.

Carol had engaged a porter to help with Therese’s luggage. They took a cab to Carol’s apartment building. Carol had an application all filled out for Therese, awaiting her signature. They went to the manager’s office, and Carol introduced Therese to Mrs. Yielding. The silver-haired woman was all smiles. She insisted on meeting all residents face to face. Carol could tell the seventyish woman liked Therese. _Who wouldn’t!_

“Welcome to Washington, Miss Belivet, and thank you for choosing the Potomac for your home. I’m so glad Miss Aird has such a fine young lady for a roommate… and it’s comforting to know she won’t be traveling alone anymore." Mrs. Yielding added Therese to the lease and had her sign. She teased, “' love 'y’all’s' southern accents. I can’t believe two such charming beauties have not been snatched up by a couple of handsome men … it’s the war, I guess.”

Therese and Carol pleasantly smiled and nodded.

“Miss Belivet, I bet you left a different climate in Mobile.”

“I did. It was a balmy 75 when I departed.”

“Yum!”

The doorman, a tall native Washingtonian, had Therese’s baggage on a cart. He rolled it up for them and unloaded the luggage.

Carol tipped him. “Thank you, Mr. Champion.”

“Thank you, Miss Aird, and it’s lovely meeting you, Miss Belivet.”

“It’s nice meeting you, sir.”

“Enjoy our city!”

“I will.”

He tipped his hat an exited.

Carol and Therese embraced and shared a long kiss.

Carol wanted to cherish the moment. “Hey, I feel like hot chocolate! You wouldn’t want one … would you?”

“Yes … yes, I would.”

While the milk was heating, Carol took Therese on a quick tour of the apartment. She finished with Therese’s bedroom. “And here’s the bed you’ll never sleep in.”

Therese laughed and gave Carol a quick kiss. “We mustn’t let that milk boil!”

“Oh, my!”

They rushed to the kitchen just in time. Carol pulled the milk from the eye and then reached up to bring down two mugs. Carol added cocoa powder and sugar to the bottom of each mug. She had started a kettle of water as well. It whistled. She poured a finger of boiling water into each mug. They both took a spoon and stirred the mixes into dark blends. Carol gingerly filled each mug with hot milk from the pot.

They each pulled a big sugar cookie from Carol’s cookie jar and stepped to the living room. Therese had already fallen in love with this room. It had a pair of narrow French doors that led onto a small balcony. Therese took her libations to the doors and admired the snowy view. They were on the fourth of five floors. “Wow, two blocks from the river. What a view, Carol!” A second later, she glanced back at her girlfriend and chuckled, “Eleanor?”

Carol nodded, then joined Therese. “We’ll have to find some nice little chairs to put out here in the Spring."

“Oh, that will be precious.”

“Mm-hmm … but not as precious as you. I could just eat you up.”

“Have at it, boss.”

“Oh, don’t call me that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay … I just want us to be partners in all this … equals.”

“I love you, Carol.”

“I love you, Therese.”

Carol put on a Cole Porter album, and they sat across from one another, sipping the chocolaty goodness and munching their cookies.

“I was a bit put out with you at first for expediting my departure from ADDSCO, but—“

“Au contraire, mon amour, that was all Mrs. Roosevelt. She does not hesitate to flex those executive branch muscles to make things happen. She asked me in our debriefing about you. I told her I had offered the position to you and that you had accepted. In turn, she asked, ‘How soon can this young woman start?’ then one thing led to another.”

“Oh, in that case, I apologize for assuming you pulled a string.”

“I must admit that I inadvertently dangled it.”

The hot chocolate had cooled a bit. Therese could now take a full luxuriant drink. She wriggled with the warming sensation. Carol’s eye’s burned with blue fire watching her love enjoy “their home” on “their couch” and soon to be in “their bed.”

Therese tilted up her mug for the last swallow. She stood and walked to Carol. “Done?”

“Yes.”

“Here, I’ll take it.”

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome.”

Therese took the mugs to the kitchen, washed them, then set them in the drying rack.

Carol commented from the other room, “I’ve only acquired the two living room pieces, the beds, and our dresser so far. We need a dining table … at least a small one, and… well, everything else.”

“You’ve done just fine, Carol. I love them. We can do the rest together. In the meantime, I don’t mind eating our meals off my lap in the living room. The light in there is fantastic.”

“You're such a sweetie!”

Therese returned to the living room. Extending her hand for Carol, Therese asked, “Do we have plans for this evening?”

“Yes, but nothing that involves leaving this apartment.” Carol rose and took Therese’s hand.

As they walked to their bedroom, Therese asked, “I assume we have work tomorrow?”

“Yes, a little, but it’s from home.”

“Good, I’ll unpack tomorrow.”

“Don't unpack too much. Perhaps repack. We have an appointment with the First Lady on Friday morning at ten. She wants to meet you then coach us up for the next assignment. We are catching an airplane for the west coast on Friday afternoon.”

“California?”

“Absolutely, darling! Starting on Monday, we have seven schools in five days. Does that scare you, Therese?”

“Not at all. It sounds like fun.”

In the bedroom, Carol tried to kiss Therese, but Therese teasingly shook her head and gestured Carol to the far side of the bed. “Let’s get naked and meet in the middle of the bed.”

The slow burn paid off. They were on fire when their bare skin touched. They open-mouthed kissed while Carol’s hands caressed Therese’s back, and Therese’s hands lovingly massaged Carol’s derriere. They were soon down in the sheets loving each other up from head to toe.

Carol couldn’t seem to squeeze her lover hard enough. She wrapped her arms and legs around Therese, kissed her, nuzzled her, and gently bit her where the marks wouldn’t show. Therese gasped, “Damn! You did want to eat me up!”

Carol growled and dove for Therese’s clitoris. Therese shook with excitement. She came quickly. Carol gave her no respite. She went to work on Therese’s breasts. She mouthed and nibbled on her nipples while firmly caressing and massaging them. Therese surrendered. She let Carol have her way with her.

Therese finally got her “licks in” when Carol, so eager to pleasure Therese orally, reversed direction and went all fours on top of her. This presented her wet pocket to Therese’s face. Therese squealed, taking her tongue and lips to Carol’s pinkness. Carol lost it. Therese rolled them to put herself on top missing nary a beat. Carol shook and came. Therese broke the hold and reversed to kiss and embrace Carol. They buried their vulvas into one another as their alabaster legs pulled and locked. They moaned as the friction caused a magic fuel to ignite. They sent their fingers into one another on the urgent mission to bring them home.

Therese sprawled out flat on her back, covered in sweat and panting. “I need a stiff drink and a cigarette.”

Carol laughed as only she can, and that made Therese laugh. Carol exclaimed, “Amen, to that!”

Carol stood and stumbled on wobbly legs. That cracked them both up once again. Carol returned with a bottle of Scotch, her cigarette case, and lighter. Therese asked, “Glasses?”

Carol was already on the bed and exclaimed, “Oh, fuck!”

Therese chuckled, “That’s okay, sweetheart. You keep your seat. I’ll get ’em.”

Therese rumbled through kitchen cabinets until she found two glasses. Upon her return, Carol smirked, “Those aren’t the right kind.”

“Pour me a drink, goddammit!”

“Okay, fine, but it would taste better in the correct glass.”

The sunlight was fading. They smoked and drank in loving bliss.

“Now this airplane thing … is that scary?”

“No, it’s bumpy sometimes, but it’s a hoot.”

“Okay, but will you hold my hand?”

“Now, darling …”

“I know, I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/VpoW35z)   
> 
> 
> Snowy capital building


	14. Night Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/l9keKVr)  
>  The U. S. Navy Douglas R4D was their version of the civilian DC-3.

Carol helped Therese unpack on Thursday morning. If not for sleeping in its bed, Therese appreciated the room’s closet, dresser, and mirror. Carol had picked out a dresser different from her own. She thought it represented Therese’s “vivacious spirit and warm heart” compared to Carol’s more stately piece. Therese loved it.

Midmorning, they sat down over coffee while Carol presented an overview of their work. Therese was intrigued by the mission and asked many questions. Carol loved that; her “student” was engaged. They made sandwiches for lunch, but Therese was eager to get back to work as soon as the dishes were done.

Carol got out their government-issued Smith-Corona portable typewriter and reveled in Therese’s masterful grasp of the equipment. Carol handed her a few pages of her concise notes. Therese began to transcribe them. She asked a question here or there but soon had Carol's thought patterns and quirks in hand. When finished, she excitedly handed them to Carol for review. Carol tried her best to find something to critique but failed. She looked at her love’s fawnlike eyes and laughed. Therese excitedly hugged her, then asked, “You got any more?”

At three, the notes from the latest trip were finished. The typed notes would make a superior reference journal to support Carol’s reports than her handwritten ones. Therese volunteered to type up all of Carol’s old notes when they had downtime between missions. Carol agreed but insisted Therese respect their R&R. “The travel and engagements can be exhausting, darling.”

They dressed warmly and took a walk in snowy D.C. Carol teased, “Sweetheart, your face is going to get stuck in that smile.” Therese chuckled and gently punched Carol’s arm.

The wartime capital city was incredibly busy. Service uniforms of all branches and several countries were everywhere as well as the darkly coated civilian workers. From clerks to secretaries, legislators, and even a Supreme Court judge, Therese brightened their day with her infectious countenance. The 20-year-old knew there would be heavier days, but she would always appreciate and remember this day, this cold, blustery, yet marvelous afternoon.

They walked until dusk. Carol had planned their stroll to land at her favorite restaurant. “It’s early, but are your hungry, Therese?”

Therese said, “Sure!” then whispered, “It will give us more time tonight.”

They were in luck. The establishment had received their beef allotment that same day. An Italian restaurant, they enjoyed salads and veal with a California Chianti.

While buttering her hard roll, Therese asked, “So, where do you get those muscles, dear?”

“Ah, early … I get up early every morning, save Sunday and dart over to a gymnasium a couple of blocks from our apartment. I skipped it this morning … for obvious reasons. Anyway, it’s for federal employees. I got you a dumpy sweatsuit like mine in case you’d like to join me in the morning … would you?”

“Sure … uh, how dumpy?”

“Shut up, you … you’ll look adorable.”

Therese grinned and took a crunchy bite of her roll. “Sneakers, too?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks.”

Carol suggested, “Hey, with you in the mix, we might have enough for a women’s basketball game some weekend. It would take ten.”

“Oh, we had a hoop nailed on the school building back home. I got pretty good at free throws.”

“I just bet you did, young lady … you’re ‘pretty good’ at everything,” then Carol whispered, “and very good at several things.”

Therese grinned and shrugged.

****

The alarm clock went off at a quarter to six the next morning. Carol and Therese donned their sweats and coats and raced to the gym. A wind was blowing snow in their faces. They reached the facility, and a guard recognized Carol. He let them in. He hesitantly let Carol vouch for Therese. “Okay, but you need to get an I.D. card ASAP, Miss Belivet.

Therese was a bit upset over the reception. Carol told her to “never mind” as “Bob” was always gruff. “We’ll take care of it today at the White House.”

There were few people present when they arrived, but the place was crowded by the time they finished at seven.

Carol had a routine taught to her by a former Army officer turned congressional advisor. Therese repeated everything Carol did. They stretched then did eight different exercises with free weights. After some stretching, they grabbed a basketball and passed it back and forth, taking shots from different angles and distances. They finished by taking six laps around the 1/12th-mile track that ran around the gym on the second floor. Carol said she was considering getting up a little earlier and running a full mile. Therese, young and lean, kept up, but she realized she was out of shape for such a workout. Carol bolstered, “Don’t feel bad, T! I was much worse off than that when I started. It’ll get better.”

They returned home, and Carol started the coffee percolator. She kept a pitcher of cold water in the fridge. The women each drank a full glass. They showered, did their hair and makeup then dressed for the day. Carol and Therese had meticulously packed for their trip the night before. The coffee was ready. They had cornflakes with a banana sliced on top. Therese sprinkled sugar on top of each bowl while Carol dosed the milk. After brushing their teeth, touching up their makeup, and applying lipstick, they were ready to go. This would become the couple’s morning routine for working days in Washington. Travel mornings would vary depending on a score of variables.

*****

“It’s lovely to meet you, Therese. I’m thrilled our hardworking Carol will have some help.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Roosevelt.”

“You certainly look excited. Are you sure you’re up for this, young lady?”

“Most sure, Ma’am.”

“Good!”

She smiled at Carol and shook the file in her hand. “Carol, this was an excellent report on these Texas panhandle and Louisiana schools… some surprises there.”

“For me as well, Ma’am.”

“Well, let’s sit. I have many questions.”

Carol gestured to the chair intended for Therese. “Yes, ma’am, and I will do my best to answer all of them.”

“As you always do, Carol. Oh, look at that iced chocolate cookies with our tea… what a treat! Thank you, Grace.”

Grace smiled, “You’re welcome, Mrs. Roosevelt. Can I get y’all anything else?”

“No, thank you, dear.”

Grace left the room, but Mrs. Roosevelt’s personal secretary stayed.

The meeting began at ten, and Carol knew good, and well, it would end on the dot at 11:30. At eleven, the First Lady shifted from Carol’s last assignment to the California mission: a San Diego high school, two Los Angeles high schools, an elementary school in Inglewood, a rural grammar school up the coast, and then three high schools, one each in San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento respectively.

Mrs. Roosevelt usually had her personal secretary summarize the meeting. This time she asked Therese. Carol apprehensively glanced at Therese. Therese femininely cleared her throat then delivered her summary from the shorthand on her steno pad.

After Therese finished, Mrs. Roosevelt glanced at her secretary. The woman nodded at the First Lady. “Well done, Therese.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

The First Lady stood and bid them goodbye and safe travels.

*****

A government driver picked up Carol and Therese at their apartment. He took them to Washington National Airport at Gravely Point. The driver took them on the runway and parked a few yards from a U. S. Navy Douglas DC-3 or, as they designated it, an R4D. The women were relieved by the weather conditions; the snow had stopped, and the blue sky could be seen amongst the clouds. The plane was the Navy’s, but this one’s cabin retained its top-notch civilian garb. Two sailors took the women’s luggage, and another escorted them up the steps and to their seats. The aircraft could hold thirty passengers, but it took off with only our couple, three chief petty officers, an ensign, two lieutenants, a commander, a captain, and a rear admiral.

The occupants were calm and quiet on the first leg. They landed in Chicago to deliver one of the petty officers, the ensign, one of the lieutenants, and the commander. Each of the departing officers had a briefcase handcuffed to their wrists while their accompanying petty officer carried a holstered Colt 1911A1 .45 caliber pistol.

The remaining passengers were encouraged to step off the plane and visit the facilities while a ground crew topped off the DC-3’s fuel tanks. They all took the sailor’s advice. Therese had thought Washington very cold; the Chicago wind and temperature hit her like a wall. The admiral took Carol’s arm, and the captain took Therese’s to escort them to the Navy terminal. Upon their return to the airplane, the sailor handed each of them a paper-wrapped ham sandwich and a Coca-Cola. They had to wait a while to take off, so they all ate, and then the sailor collected their wrappings and bottles.

Once airborne, the Admiral moved forward and sat down across from the women. “Miss Aird, if I may be so forward, did I detect a South Alabama accent?”

“Yes, Sir … I grew up in Auburn then worked in Mobile for several years before moving to Washington this fall.”

“Ah, I thought so… my wife grew up in Andalusia.”

“Really, what was her maiden name, Admiral Collins?”

“Coop… Marilyn Coop.”

Surprised, Carol exclaimed, “Not Auburn Class of 29!”

“Yes … don’t tell me!”

“Well, not the same year, but close, Class of 30. We had several literature classes together.”

“My goodness, such a small world.”

“Yes, it is. How is she?”

“She’s fine. We live in San Diego.” The fiftyish flag officer hesitated then surmised, “Oh, I’m sure you’re a bit surprised by the age difference. You see, Miss Aird—”

“Carol, please.”

“Thank you… you see, Carol, Marilynn is my second wife. She lost her first husband a year after my wife passed away. He was also Navy and under my command at the time. We met at his funeral. After corresponding for a year while I served in Britain, we rendezvoused, got engaged, and married in 1938. She has two boys, and I have two daughters. My girls are married and far-flung with families of their own. Her teenaged sons live with us.”

The captain had joined them. The Admiral began the introductions, “Carol, this is my number two, Captain Beaumont Pierce.”

The Captain extended his hand to Carol, “That’s Monty, Carol.”

“Nice to meet you, Monty. Gentlemen, this is my personal assistant, Therese Belivet.”

Therese shook their hands. “It’s nice to meet you, gentlemen.”

The Admiral glanced over Therese’s shoulder. “The sleeping lieutenant back there is Jeremy Pounce, and I’m sure he will be much disappointed in not meeting you, Miss Belivet.”

Therese blushed, and they all chuckled.

Admiral Collins thumbed over his shoulder towards the front of the cabin. “Those two old salts are Chief Petty Officers Dave Thompson and Barney Givens; they actually do everything for which I get credit. Laughing, the two NCOs turned and waved at Carol and Therese.

“So, I understand you two work for the First Lady.” He could tell by the wide eyes that the women were shocked. “Hey, it’s the Navy, ladies. These swabbies gossip worse than my wife’s coffee klatch.”

Carol disclosed, “Yes, we work on a special educational program for her.”

“I see. Do you fly very often?”

“I do, some … but this is Therese’s first flight.”

Monty asked, “Ever?”

Therese nodded.

“What do you think so far?”

“I think it’s grand,” said Therese with a dimpled smile.

Monty grinned, “Grand!” He glanced at his commanding officer and concurred, “I agree, Admiral, Pounce will regret it was his nappy-nap time.”

The two petty officers guffawed.

Monty opined, “Obviously, you are from Alabama as well, Miss Belivet.”

“I am.”

Carol asked the admiral if either of his stepsons attended the San Diego high school they were scheduled to visit. He affirmed that the oldest one named Kevin did.

After chatting about the war, shortages, sports, and family. The admiral caught Monty’s attention and tilted his head towards their seats.

Monty chuckled, “Very well, Sir.” He stood and made his way to the admiral’s satchel. On the way, he asked the sailor. “Bateman, do you have any glasses on this aircraft?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. No, Sir … but I have some coffee cups.”

“That will do just fine, Bateman.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Monty returned with a three-quarters full bottle of Johnnie Walker. Carol and Therese grinned. The Admiral asked, “May we offer you a drink, ladies?”

Carol chimed, “That would be lovely, Admiral.”

After a bit of clanking, Bateman returned with a tray full of big, white, navy cups.

Monty ordered, “Hold that tray steady, sailor.” He began evenly distributing the Scotch whiskey in the cups until the last few drops trickled free.

The Admiral reached over and started handing cups out, starting with Carol and Therese.

Therese laughed, “No handles!”

Monty joshed, “Yep, why don’t you bring that up to the First Lady.”

Admiral Collins affectionately growled at his petty officers, “C’mon, you two.”

The two Chiefs eagerly stood and walked back to take their cups.

Monty took a cup then asked, “There’s one left.”

Bateman said, “I got one for the Lieutenant, Sir. I thought he might wake up.”

Monty glanced at the slumbering Pounce and said, “He’s not waking up. You take it, Bateman.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Admiral Collins raised his cup, “To our Commander in Chief and his First Lady!”

They drank and reveled in the fine liquor.

Carol assertively raised her cup, and the others joined her, “To the United States Navy and all the good things it stands for!”

“Here, here!” the men exclaimed.

At one point, the Captain referred to something as a SNAFU. Carol and Therese knowingly laughed. He embarrassingly asked, “Oh, you ladies know what that means?”

Chief Thompson laughed, “Mobile is a Navy town, Captain!”

“Correct you are, Chief … and on that note, he raised his cup and proclaimed, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

Carol jibed, “Nice quote, Monty; Admiral Farragut is such a beloved character in Mobile.”

“Good one, Carol,” smirked the Admiral.

The navigator emerged through the curtains at the back of the cockpit and called out, “Admiral, we hate to break up the party, but Kearney tower just warned us about some weather up ahead.

The Admiral nodded to him, “Thank you, Lieutenant. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s take our seats and strap on our belts.”

Bateman efficiently passed through, collecting everyone’s empty cups. After stowing them away, he took his own seat near the cockpit.

The DC-3 began to bounce, and Therese couldn’t help but squeeze Carol’s hand as they heard the pilots throttling up and down for changes in altitude.

Things smoothed out around midnight. Bateman brought the women two wool army blankets. They used their coats for pillows and fell sound asleep in the blankets.

A bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Lieutenant Pounce gently woke Carol and Therese around six-eastern. “Ladies, the Admiral asked me to inform you that we will be landing in San Diego in about a half-hour. He also stated that he will have a driver take you to wherever you need to go after we land.”

Carol cleared her throat then said, “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Therese checked her watch. She had already set it for Pacific Time. “Carol, it’ll be three-thirty in the morning there. What are we going to do that early?”

“Find an all-night diner, and have breakfast. I’m starved!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/MuWEJEa)   
> 


	15. Cat People

“Carol! Slow down, there it is,” pointed Therese.

Four days earlier, on Saturday morning at zero four hundred hours, Carol and Therese were sitting down for breakfast in the mess hall at U. S. Destroyer Base, San Diego. Leaving the DC-3, the Admiral overheard Carol asking the Captain about a diner that might be open at this hour. At the bottom of the boarding stairs, the Admiral patted the Captain’s shoulder. “I got this, Monty.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The Admiral asked, “Ladies, may I take you to breakfast?”

Carol demurred, “Oh, Admiral, we can’t inconvenience you. We’ll find a place.”

“Nonsense, follow me.”

A car and driver were waiting for him. He called out to his men that were still in earshot. “Gentlemen, that was an informative trip. Let’s meet at zero eight hundred on Monday to debrief.”

The Captain replied for all of them, “Yes, Sir! Have a nice weekend, Admiral.”

“You, too!”

The Admiral’s driver was a Marine. The Corporal opened the doors for Carol, Therese, and his commander. The Admiral directed Therese to the front seat while he joined Carol in the back. The Corporal closed them after all three were seated. After slipping behind the steering wheel, the Admiral said, “Corporal Meeks, take us to the mess hall.”

“Yes, Sir.”

They entered the empty mess hall. Only a couple of lights dimly illuminated the sea of tables and chairs. Glowing from the back were the serving windows of the kitchen. The cooks were already hard at it, prepping for breakfast. The Admiral motioned them to follow him, and he gestured for the women to have a seat at a table in one of the lighted corners. Hey, walked over and stepped inside the busy kitchen.

“Room! Ten-hut!”

“At ease!”

“Good morning, Admiral. May I help you, Sir?”

“Yes, Chief Dodder, would you be kind enough to have one of your men rustle up some bacon and eggs for these two ladies and me?”

Dodder had stepped out of the kitchen. He glanced and the women and nodded, “Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir.”

“Nothing fancy, Chief.”

“Yes, Sir… I’ll have some coffee sent out while you wait.”

“Very good, Chief, thank you.”

“Your welcome, Sir.”

In three minutes, the three had coffee, cream, and sugar on their little corner of the long table. In ten, they had breakfast being served. Two seamen brought out plates with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and orange juice.

As they chatted, the Admiral loved hearing about their work and its current assignment. “That is wonderful, Carol. I must confess that I was headed down the wrong path as an adolescent. A teacher, much like yourself, turned me around with unrelenting firmness, kindness, and an uncanny ability to instill self-respect. She sent me a congratulatory letter when I graduated from Annapolis in 1909. I’ve had that letter close at hand ever since.”

“Where did you serve in World War I, Admiral?”

He chuckled, “I was a Lieutenant… the gunnery officer on a heavy cruiser in the North Atlantic.”

“How exciting!”

“It was that, Therese. Very ‘exciting’ when facing a gale in winter.”

He pondered intensely after hearing of their itinerary. “I have a suggestion. I was going to get a car and driver to take you to your hotel today. However, wouldn’t it be simpler if you had a car… oh, do you drive?”

“I do,” answered Carol.

“Well, then. We have two Fords that don’t have Navy markings. You can sign one out and use it for your California mission.”

“That is most considerate, Admiral, and it would be a Godsend, but we wouldn’t have time to drive back from Sacramento to return it.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. Where do you fly out of?”

“Mather Army Air Force base.”

“Okay, I know the colonel that commands that base. He’ll be glad to have a couple of his men return that car to San Diego. They can take two down and one back.”

“Oh, once again, that seems like so much—”

“No, no, Carol. I insist.”

“Very well, Admiral. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, Carol.”

He drank the last of his coffee, then reflected, “Carol, I would love for you two to come out to my residence so that you could reminisce with Marylyn, but she is visiting with her parents in Austin, Texas.”

“Oh, that would have been nice. I hope she’ll be home for her lonely Admiral by Christmas.”

He laughed, “Oh, yes… she’s returning this week.”

They had their “Navy car” at nine and were on their way. Carol and Therese did a little sightseeing in the San Diego area on Saturday and Sunday then knocked out the schools in southern California schools by Tuesday afternoon. They decided to take California State Route 1 up the coast. It was winding, but the vistas were breathtaking.

*****

On Wednesday morning, they had missed a turn and were backtracking to find the rural grammar school. Therese spotted the correct turn and called it to Carol’s attention. Carol was racing along. She hit the brakes and soon had them at the school. They were finished and departing by two. Driving into the night, they reached San Francisco and checked into the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Exhausted, they snuggled up in one of the room’s two sumptuous beds and quickly fell asleep. Their prewar apprehensions about “appearances” had changed with the shortages of accommodations. In the interest of thrift, two government workers of the same gender traveling together were expected to share a room.

It was raining the next morning. That dashed their plan of walking along the docks. They were to be at the high school at one. After assessing the weather at the window and conferring with Therese to cancel the outing, Carol turned to her lover and began to pull off her pajama top. “Let’s play.”

Therese chimed, “Yes, ma’am!” and began shedding her own jammies.

Carol joined her, and they kissed. They pulled back. Embarrassed, they groaned together, “Morning breath.” After darting to the bathroom to brush their teeth, they giggled while racing back to their cuddly, warm love nest.

They smooched in utter joy for long minutes while caressing one another. Warm and excited, they put their fingers to work in the wet flesh between their thighs. The sweethearts took their time. They patiently took each other to sensual highs multiple times. This lovemaking continued after leaving their bed; the bathtub was a large one. They lounged in it together, sending their toes to tickle and thrust away.

After showering and doing their faces and hair, they dressed and went to the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast. They had Belgian waffles and link sausages with their coffee and grapefruit juice. The high school appointment was a good one. The principal and the head of the English department began with an exceptional briefing and then took them on a thorough school tour with plenty of student and teacher interactions. Oakland and Sacramento were just as impressive, and given that it was the Friday before Christmas break, the visits were quite festive.

After leaving the Sacramento school, they drove directly to Mather Army Air Force base. Admiral Collin’s acquaintance at Mather did right by them. A staff sergeant met them at the gate. He had them sign over their vehicle and then drove them to board their transport, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster. They were airborne by “zero sixteen hundred” and headed home to Washington. Most of the four-engine beauty’s 44 seats were occupied. They had one stop in Nebraska to let some passengers off and take on even more. The cabin was at capacity for the second leg to Washington. They landed around seven Eastern on Saturday, December 19Th. Carol and Therese had slept little on the crowded aircraft. After the cab ride home, they dropped their luggage in the living room, undressed, and went to bed. They slept until three in the afternoon.

*****

On Monday afternoon, Therese called for a White House courier to come and fetch Mrs. Roosevelt’s copy of their report. Her secretary rang on Tuesday afternoon. The First Lady requested they meet with her the next morning at the usual ten o’clock. Of course, Therese accepted. After hanging up the phone, she asked Carol, “Can we go do something fun?”

“Sure, sweetheart... got anything particular in mind?”

“I’ve so missed going to movies with you!”

“Aw, you are so precious. I don’t deserve you.”

“Don’t say that. Just take me to a damn movie.”

Carol grabbed the Washington Post's arts & entertainment section and plopped down on the couch next to Therese. They perused the selection of films and their respective movie houses.

“Nix all the war movies!”

“Agreed, C!”

“Romance?”

“There’s this romantic comedy called the _Palm Beach Story_.”

“Uh, no… not a comedy.”

“Fine, well, here’s another one categorized as a romantic drama, _Random Harvest_.”

“Sounds too melodramatic.”

“Geez, Carol! You don’t want to go to a movie, do you?”

“I do, darling! I promise!”

Carol anxiously scanned the offerings. “What about this one?” She pointed for Therese to see.

“ _Cat People_... horror. Oh, shit.”

“I’m sorry. That’s not very Christmassy.”

“No, wait. I’m up for it.”

“Really?”

“Yep, _Cat People_ it is.”

“One showing at seven-ten. Hmm, do you want to eat dinner early or late?”

“Let’s finish off that cake now and go to dinner after the movie.”

“It’s a date, T!”

“Therese slipped down to her knees and rested her head on Carol’s lap while hugging her hips. “I love you, love you, love you, Carol.”

Carol tried to suppress her emotions, but a tear ran down her cheek. She sniffled.

Therese heard it and glanced up at her lover’s face. “Oh, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“You’ve turned me into such a big mush.”

“I know, and I love it!”

“Oh, you naughty elf. Are you part of Santa’s advance guard?”

“That’s me… an elf commando.”

“What do you want to drink with that coffee cake?”

Therese laughed, then pinched through the fabric of Carol’s skirt and popped her garter strap.

“Oww! What was that for?”

“One has coffee with coffee cake!”

“Oh. Well, you better enjoy it, baby girl… that’s the last of it. I looked at the market yesterday, and they were out. War is Hell.”

“Fuck.”

“Those engineers and running buddies of yours gave you a trashy mouth.”

“Well, you seem to like it when I talk dirty to you.”

“I’m not going there. It will lead to my tearing off your clothes and eating your pussy.”

“Hey…”

“No, I don’t want to have to get all dolled up again for the movie.”

“Fuck the movie. We can go tomorrow night.”

“But… you…”

Therese gazed into Carol’s eyes.

“Oh, come here, my little Cat Person.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/i4NVkjG)   
> 
> 
> For one intense and well-filmed scene, copy this and paste it into your browser. Oh, those shoes, those ankles, those coats, and those hats. Damn!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFtZAVgf1Yg


	16. Work and Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short bridge here, sorry Ronda.  
> [](https://imgur.com/t4C3WAY)

Therese and Carol went for lunch after they met with Eleanor Roosevelt. They went to a downtown diner and ordered hamburgers with onion slices and plenty of mustard. Potato chips, pickles, and Pepsi Colas rounded out the meal. After departing the eatery, they passed a Christmas tree lot. Carol lingered. A small fur caught her eye. Therese assertively stepped over to the proprietor and purchased it.

“Therese, we don’t have any decorations.”

“We’ll make some.”

They went in a five and dime to purchase multicolored sheets of construction paper, needles, and thread. Carol had some popping corn. Mr. Champion opened the door for them. He offered to carry the tree up for them.

“No, thank you. We’ve got this,” chimed Carol.

They stood the tree on its crossed plywood base. “We should have a weighted bucket with water to keep it fresh,” worried Carol.

“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Surely it will be okay through the day after.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

While the corn popped and was set aside to cool, they began to scissor angels, reindeer, Santa Clauses, tin soldiers, dollies, and snowmen from the construction paper. Working together on the strands of popped corn, the couple soon had two earthy, six-foot strings.

“I love it, darling.”

“I know, and it so reminds me of home.”

“I know you miss them, Therese … I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m here with you. You are my family, too.”

Carol had not considered that point. She stepped to Therese and hugged her. They lingered in the warm embrace.

“Shall we catch that movie tonight?”

“Yes, does it have the same start time?”

“It does; we passed its marquee today. I checked it.”

“Carol, you are so observant. I was just dreamily walking along thrilled to be off work until January 2nd.”

“No cake left for today.”

“No, but that heavy lunch may do me for the rest of the day.”

“So true, T, but if we are hungry after the film, we’ll catch a bite somewhere.”

They enjoyed _Cat People_ but felt it more shocking than horrific.

There was a newsreel at the beginning after the cartoon and another at the end. Things were looking up for the Allies. Rommel was losing to the Americans and the British in Tunisia. The Russian Army surrounded the Germans at Stalingrad. The Japanese were being driven out of Guadalcanal. Therese anxiously scanned the faces of marching and wounded Marines for that of Dannie’s.

Walking away from the theater into the streets of the blacked-out city, Carol asked, “Did you spot him?”

“Dannie?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Shame.”

“Do you think they’ll get our men on Guadalcanal a Christmas Dinner?”

“I hope so.”

The night was cold and clear. The light from the stars and moon reflected from the snow giving them ample illumination to find their way home. It was a five-block walk. Only a few people were out and about; Therese and Carol held hands. With so many men overseas, such female images were common, five, three, or just two. No one seemed to notice or care. Seldom verbalized, but dwelling in the backs of peoples’ minds was the ever-present drive to “live for the day” and the question of “will there be a tomorrow.” Mrs. Roosevelt said the war was taking the lives of a thousand Americans a day.

*****

There were two festively wrapped presents under the tree on Christmas morning, and two lumpy socks hung from their dresser drawers. They grinned and giggled while dumping the socks' contents onto the “snow” at the foot of their tree. Candies, apples, and oranges made for a colorful spread. Therese chimed, “Thank you, Santa!”

Carol tilted her head back in a laugh that joyed Therese’s heart.

Therese eagerly handed Carol her gift, and Carol immediately presented Therese with hers.

“You first!”

“No, you!”

“You!”

“Together, then?”

“Okay!”

Therese opened her present from Carol to find a long pair of leather gloves. She glowed, “Oh, Carol, I love them!” Therese pressed them to her face to feel the supple leather and inhale its scent. She slipped them on for inspection.”

“Well, you were always admiring mine.”

“Catch up, C! Open yours!”

“Okay, okay, Miss Impatience!”

Carol opened her gift to find a leather journal. “Therese, you shouldn’t have. Where did you find it?”

“Not that I’ve ever looked in yours, Carol, but I have noticed that you have very few pages left.”

“I was indeed running out of road, sweetheart, but there’s nothing like this left in the stores these days.”

“I know, love. I spotted it in a shop in Mobile and bought it.”

“Mobile! When?”

“Late in October.”

“But that’s after I—”

“Don’t say it, Carol. You never left my heart.”

Carol reached over and squeezed Therese’s hand.

“How about these?” Therese held up the gloves. “I haven’t seen leather gloves in a store in months.”

“I wrote the company that made mine… it’s in Wisconsin. I told them how my new assistant traveled from balmy Mobile to work for me in our chilly Capital. It must have tugged on somebody’s heartstring; they sent me the pair in your size and an invoice. I fired a check and a thank you note back to them the same day.”

“And when was this?”

“Uh, late October.”

“I love you, Carol. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, darling. I love you.”

Therese crawled to Carol, and they snuggled in a long embrace on their rug. Their Christmas kiss was yet another grand present to one another. It was soft, warm, and sexy.

Carol laughed after Therese’s stomach growled. “Is my sweet baby’s tummy talkin’?”

“I’m sorry. Hey, we used those ration stamps with a goal in mind.”

“Yes! Now we bake muffins!”

They scampered to the kitchen. On Christmas Eve, a courier from Mrs. Roosevelt delivered a lovely gift basket containing candies and fresh fruit. She was their “Mrs. Clause to the rescue,” but that’s not all. The basket included a pound of coffee beans.

Therese ground beans and started the coffee perking, while Carol went to work on the muffin batter. The market had eggs, flour, sugar, milk, and butter for their ration stamps and cash, but the canned blueberries were something Carol purchased weeks ago for this very day.

Therese put the can opener to work on the blueberries, then used the lid to let the syrup drain. She had them ready to add to the batter exactly when Carol needed them. One of the few things Carol had of her mother's was a muffin pan. Her dad gave it to her along with a few other utensils the very last time she saw him. A bit of melancholy struck her as she poured the batter. She shook it off and forced happy thoughts.

Therese caught the gesture. “What? Is something wrong?”

Carol glanced in her lover’s eyes and said, “No, nothing could be wrong on a day like this.”

*****

Carol and Therese visited 38 states and territories over the winter and spring of 1943. They traveled by airplane, ship, boat, car, bus, train, and trolley. Their Smith Corona held up with nothing more needed than a dozen ribbons and a few drops of machine oil. They presented their final report in May and held the First Lady's last debriefing on June 1st.

The executive branch driver dropped them off for lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill, the spot of their choosing. Connor Slate must have followed in an unmarked FBI vehicle. He simultaneously exited his car and gently tapped Therese’s arm.

She turned, and in surprise, smiled, “Con, how are you doing?”

He tipped his hat and shook their hands.

Carol asked, “Are you meeting someone here?”

“The two of you, if you’ll be kind enough to let me buy you lunch.”


	17. Disarming

“Con, we have enjoyed this meal, and the conversation with you has been superb, but we don’t want to get your hopes up. Therese and I expected your contact, perhaps not this soon, but here you are, and here we are. You haven't brought out the elephant in the closet, but let me say on behalf of the both of us, we are not interested.”

Con smiled, then took a sip of coffee. He slowly returned his cup to its saucer while exchanging glances with both Carol and Therese. “May I ask why?”

Carol was prepared. “Yes, we want to serve our country. We loved the project we just completed. We have been thrifty, Con. We have the savings and time to seek out and apply for the right positions. Who knows? In all modesty, Con, we seem to have added a satisfied and influential former employer to our résumés. We want challenging and rewarding work. Rewarding for the nation and us, yet—”

“Safe?”

The women frowned.

Con locked on Therese, “You didn’t seem that unnerved by the ADDSCO matter.”

“No,” murmured Therese.

“What then? Was it that unfortunate incident with the Steele Gang?”

Carol and Therese glanced at one another, trying to conceal the panic in their hearts.

“Yes, I was aware of it. Look, ladies, I stayed on in Mobile after ADDSCO until other such investigations concluded, none as successful as Miss Belivet’s. Coincidentally, an associate of mine was heading up a fledgling operation to foil the growing black market activities in Mobile.”

Therese reached for her glass of water and drank. Con caught and noted Carol’s anxious and caring gaze upon Therese.

Con continued, “He had an informant… a little ne'er-do-well fishing and hunting guide who drinks too often and gambles too much. Luckily for ‘y’all,’ I was meeting with my fellow agent when he got a call from this outdoorsman. He asked me to come along. We rendezvoused on a barren stretch of road near the west bank of the Spanish River. After providing a couple of drinks to calm the rattled snitch, he told us that he had witnessed the recent destruction of the nasty Mr. Steele and his crew. What caught my attention was his description of the hit squad, a straight-laced honey blonde with glasses, a petite brunette, and a young black-marketeer he knew to be an employee of the railroad.”

The women sighed.

“My God, ladies, that must have been traumatic. I would rather not know the details. My fellow G-man saw that I knew who the killers were and perceived my desire to have the matter dropped. Let’s just say that my associate was tickled pink to be rid of the gang, and the witness was thrilled to be sent packing with two fifties, one from each of us. I am sure the wiry miscreant owed Steele as well, so he was further elated by those debts' erasure. The agent assured me his stoolie was no friend of local law enforcement, and the entire affair would die with the pistol thrown in the bay.”

It was a secluded corner of the restaurant, but Therese kept her voice low. “Con, are you using this knowledge to coerce us into working for you?”

“Not at all, you can turn me down, and I will be on my disappointed way. No, I just wanted to let you know that I knew.”

Therese asked, “Why?”

“Because I want to assure you that the challenge I have in mind, one not without the risk of physical injury, will be carried out in a means to minimize said risks.”

“Hmm.”

“C’mon, Therese, hear me out.”

“So, who are these Nazi spies or—" she cringed, “—are they black-market gangsters?”

“It’s neither of those.”

“What?” asked an intrigued Carol.

“No, my charming pair, I want you to help me catch a murderer, a killer of women. The war has not stopped domestic crimes, heinous ones especially.”

“I didn’t know that the FBI worked murder cases.”

“It seldom does, Carol.”

“So, why this one?”

“You’ve probably seen the newsreel of late in which Mr. Hoover brags about the apprehension of all those Nazi spies.”

“Yes,” replied Therese. “The ten or so who were dropped along the Atlantic coast from U-boats?”

“That’s right.”

“What about it?” cynically asked Carol.

“Well, that’s it. It honestly seems like we got ‘em. Got ‘em all. And you know how the war is going for Heir Hitler. This tides turning. He is fighting on multiple fronts and losing on all of them. The Germans are spread thin. In my opinion, “I don’t think they’ll try to insert covert operatives on U.S. soil anymore.”

“And you tell us that—”

“As a segue to inform you that Mr. Hoover has cut me loose from spy hunting and put me on a special project, this murder case.”

“Very well, back to murder, why is the FBI involved in a murder case?”

“I’m going to be blunt, my apologies in advance. Over the past two years, six women's bodies have been found in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. All were buried in densely wooded areas near railway tracks. They were considered unrelated homicides until an astute investigator from the Maryland State Police noted that all three of his state’s victims had solitary deep bite wounds on their left nipples. Some subtle checking soon discovered that two bodies in Virginia and one in D.C. had the same… uh… injury.”

Carol and Therese paled. Carol stated, "I see, Con. This murderer has crossed state lines."

“You cannot repeat any of this. Amazingly, we’ve kept it out of the press.”

Carol gasped, “Shouldn’t it be in the press. Don’t the women of this region need to be alerted to the threat posed by this animal?”

“I see your point, Carol, but the President himself has asked Mr. Hoover, state and local agencies, and the press not to publicize these cases. It’s the war. He doesn’t want a panic.”

“I have been given a generous budget for this mission but no personnel. We can’t put a squad of agents on this without blowing the cases wide open.”

“So, you’ve only got us?”

“Do I?”

The women looked at each other. Therese asked, “Don’t tell me; the victims are all between the ages of twenty and forty, attractive to the male gaze, and travel by train to and from work or school.”

Con’s eyes sparkled with pride as he nodded to his special find, the Alabama orphan with a face like a model and a prizefighter’s punch.

Carol squeezed Therese’s forearm on the table. “Therese, are you thinking we should do this?”

“Perhaps, but only if you want to as well.”

“I’m in if you are, darling.” Carol was sure that Con was aware of their sexual relationship. He knew everything.

And, Con did know everything. “By the way, Carol, the bitch and her husband that went to your school principal and forced your resignation from teaching…”

“Yes?”

“It seems their son, a senior in one of your lit classes, is now serving proudly as a ball-turret gunner on a B-17 stationed in England.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but unfortunately, his parents were killed last year in a car wreck.”

Carol stared at him for a few seconds, then shifted her gaze to the cake crumbs on her dessert plate. Therese took her hand.

Carol numbly asked, “Con, would you happen to know how they… they—”

“That I don’t know, Carol. If I may say, you two have done an excellent job of closeting your relationship's true nature. Perhaps an enemy at the boarding house?”

“I never knew of any, did you, Therese?”

“No.”

“An imprudent kiss?”

“Never,” replied Therese.

“Who were they, the late couple?” asked Carol.

“Now, Carol!”

“I know … sorry … it was wrong of me to ask.”

Carol asked, “Is it too early to ask for a drink, Con?”

“Not at all. Sherry?”

“Fine.”

“Therese?”

“Same.”

Con signaled for their waiter.

“Yes, Mr. Slate?”

“We’d like three sherries, Pete.”

“Right away, sir.”

Pete soon returned. The three enjoyed their heady sips. The cloud of full disclosure and fear lifted.

Therese took Carol’s hand and announced, “Con, we’ll do it. We’ll be your bait on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“I take it you’re going to shadow us on these passenger trains and make the strike when it comes?”

“That’s correct.”

“I insist on one more shooter, another gunman on our side.”

“Really, my dear Therese. You have my attention, anyone in particular?”

“Yes, last week, I phoned an old friend to catch up. He is a decorated Marine who gave his left arm for his country at Guadalcanal. He is out of work. He needs to work. I know him to be a Cracker-Jack pistol shot, one who can kill without remorse for the proper cause. He would look at home in either work clothes or a suit, and the vacant sleeve would appear ‘disarming.’”

Con did not know whether to laugh or not.

Therese cackled, then Carol and Con joined her.

“One-armed, huh?”


	18. Training Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/5f9nzlk)  
>  A Colt 1911 .45 ACP presented in a pro's preferred condition, "cocked and locked"
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/2LZ93cl)  
> The Colt Police Positive .38 Special revolver, a workhorse of law enforcement for decades
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/8EC1909)  
> The "B-27" target has been a law enforcement standard for a century.

“How was your trip, Phil?”

“It was a long one, Agent Slate, but my changes went smoothly, and the weather was great. Speaking of weather, this D.C. temperature is a nice break from Mobile’s.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. You saw Therese and Carol last night, correct?”

“That’s right, they picked me up at my hotel, and we had drinks and dinner.”

“Is your room okay?”

“Top notch, Agent Slate, I couldn’t ask for nicer digs.”

“Phil, the four of us are going to be working very close, the gals call me Con, and I would like for you to as well.”

“Yes, Sir. ‘Con’ it is.”

“The women are meeting with a trainer today. How about the two of us hitting the firing range?”

“That’d be swell! You’ll never have to twist my arm to go shooting.”

“Great!”

“So, where are we headed, Con?”

“We’re going to use the D.C. police range today. My car is over there.” As they departed Phil’s hotel's lobby, Con pointed to a maroon four-door sedan parked across the street.

“The Plymouth?”

“That’s right. I didn’t want to drive a Bureau car for this case. They said they’d pay me for my mileage.”

“Good idea. I guess we’re mostly going to be riding on trains anyway.”

“True.”

The men, dressed neatly but casually in tan slacks and print shirts, caught a slight break in the traffic then darted across the street. As they entered the Plymouth, Con asked, “I remember green-lighting your using a personal weapon. Is it in the briefcase?”

“Affirmative,” confirmed Phil, then he laughed, “along with three magazines, a box of ammo, an apple, and a novel.”

“The novel is a good idea. It’s always 'hurry up and wait' with this sort of thing.”

“I figured.”

“You said it’s a .45?”

“Yes, I spent some time with the armorers in the Corp. I learned some things. The first week I was back in Mobile, I started visiting pawnshops until I found a Colt 1911 in good condition. The price was right. I polished the feed ramp and gave it a trigger job. It is 100% reliable with hardball, and that four-pound trigger breaks like a glass rod.”

“Sounds like a peach, Phil.”

“Oh, it is. You gotta try it this morning.”

“Thanks, I will.”

“Con, did you get all of that dancing through channels done… you know… to make me legit.”

“It’s done, Phil. First, I got you reinstated in the Marine Corps. By the way, you’re a Gunnery Sergeant, Gunny.”

“No, shit?”

“No, shit.”

“Well, how ‘bout that?”

“Note, you will never wear a uniform or talk about your military status.”

“Understood.”

“Here’s where it gets complicated.”

“Uh, oh?”

“Yeah, The Marine’s have assigned you for temporary duty with the Department Naval Intelligence, and in turn, the Navy has reassigned you to the OSS.”

“What in the Hell is the OSS?”

Con laughed, “The Office of Strategic Services was formed a year ago this very month. It specializes in covert operations.”

“Spies?”

“Simply put, yes.”

“Damn!”

“Don’t be nervous about any of that. It’s just a game we had to play to get you on board. You see, Phil, the FBI does not hire contractors for casework, but the OSS does. To keep things legal, you have been assigned an OSS supervisor.”

“Aw, man! Why can't I just report to you?”

“Now, now, stay cool, jarhead.”

Phil grinned. “I’m cool, G-man.”

You will report by phone call once a week to Dr. Janice Sinclair. Actually, our ladies are working with her today.

“Is she some kinda ballbreaker?”

“Not in the least. She’s this intellectual looking college professor type … she’s attractive. Frankly, she could be Carol Aird’s sister.”

“Damn, that’s funny. I met Carol a couple of times. You think she’s gonna be stuck up, then all of a sudden, you’ve met the nicest person in the world.”

“Yeah, well, Janice is like that too. I like her, and I bet you will.”

Phil shook his head, stating, “Marines, Naval Intelligence, Office of Strategic Services … wait a minute … how am I working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation?”

“C’mon, Phil … this is a joint operation.”

“Slate, you won’t do.”

“I know. Hey, I drew five boxes of G.I. ball ammo for you; it’s in the trunk.”

“Five boxes! Wow!”

*****

“Therese darling, it’s so nice to see you. My, you’ve… you’ve blossomed into a woman… lovely.”

Therese blushed. Hating to imagine what Carol might be thinking, she could not bear to glance at her love. “Janice, you look marvelous! I love the short do.”

Janet chuckled and took her hand back behind her neck to pat the perfect bob. “It is fun, but I must say, I saw your cut in the spring and just had to get one.”

“Saw mine? Where?”

“From a cab on Pennsylvania Avenue. You and this striking woman were leaving the White House. My, my… working for Miss Eleanor! You two are indeed the go-getters.”

Therese had to redirect. She feared Carol would become unglued. “Janice, this ‘striking woman’ is Carol Aird. Carol… Dr. Janice Sinclair.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Aird.”

“My pleasure, Dr. Sinclair.”

Therese anxiously bit her lip.

“Carol, please call me Janice, and may I call you Carol?”

“Of course.”

“I’ve read some of your educational field reports. Carol, they’re impressive. And, Therese, I’m sure Carol found you indispensable.”

Carol thought, _Do these people lack access to anything?_ She replied, “I still do.”

Janice and Carol exchanged daggered glances.

“Of course you do, dear.”

Janice reached for a cigarette box on the table. “Ladies?”

“Thank you,” Carol said as she took one of the Craven “A” cigarettes.

“Thank you, Janice,” smiled Therese.

Janice struck her lighter and smoothly lit both of her trainees’ smokes, then her own.

Unlike the bland, secret office in Mobile, they met and trained in Janice’s digs. It was a two-story townhouse on an upscale street probably filled with the “in-session” residences of senators, congressmen, and lobbyists.

“Come, ladies, have a seat. How about some mid-morning tea … or would you prefer coffee?”

“Tea is fine,” said Carol, and Therese nodded in agreement.

Janice rang a little bell, and a well-dressed domestic soon appeared. “Shall I bring the tea, Dr. Sinclair?”

“Yes, Mrs. Hatcher, and are there any of those tarts left?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Please add half a dozen of those. We’ll need our energy won’t we, Carol.”

Carol smiled.

After Mrs. Hatcher departed, Janice noted, “My goodness, this is a nasty business, isn’t it?” She gestured for Carol and Therese to gather with her around the coffee table.

Therese asked, “The murders?”

“Yes, and not really my line, but Hoover’s man, Slate, called, and I came running.”

Assertively, Therese remarked, “I was a bit surprised that you were involved, Janice.”

Janice gave the confident young woman a grin and responded, “I assume Slate briefed you on the OSS.”

“He did,” replied Therese.

“Good … mostly, I work with our people on language skills and mannerisms, but a well-regarded psychologist came on board last year to advance our agents’ understanding of body language. I’ve learned much from him. Are either of you familiar with that term?”

Therese shook her head.

Carol replied, “I heard it referenced somewhere. Doesn’t it consist of reading someone’s emotions and even thoughts via their physical reactions?”

“That’s it, Carol… it is what Con wants me to convey to you.”

“Therese lauds the techniques you taught her. I realize they were of a different type, but the proof is in the pudding. She used one of them to catch the spy living right under our noses in Mobile.”

Janice smiled proudly at Therese then replied to Carol, “Well, our Therese is an exceptionally quick learn, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

Carol nodded guardedly.

The tea and tarts were served. “Thank you, Mrs. Hatcher; I’ll take it from here… you go rest your hip.”

“Are you sure, ma’am?”

“Yes, I insist.”

“Very well, ma’am. I’ll be down later to help with lunch.”

Mrs. Hatcher left the room. Carol stood to serve her guests. “Hatch is such a dear. She slipped on the ice last winter and injured her hip. I fear it will never fully heal.” Janice made a concerned glance towards the path of her departed employee.

Therese spoke, “That’s a shame. Has she been with you for a long time?

“Yes… years.”

Janice had poured the tea, her tone lightened, “Ladies, we have some filled with glazed fruit, and the others contain egg custard. Carol, which would you like to try first?”

Carol had thawed, and in a sweet tone, she stated, “The fruit, please.”

“Therese?”

“The custard looks yummy.”

“Oh, it is … Mrs. Hatcher baked them yesterday for a gathering of my husband’s department. We hosted it here.”

“I never knew you were married,” commented Therese.

“Yes, Sin and I married the year I finished my dissertation. We couldn’t have children. Honestly, we enjoy our marriage but generally take our separate paths.”

“Sin?” asked Carol.

Janice laughed, “Oh, I’m sorry, that’s what everyone close to Dr. Eric Sinclair calls him. He left a professorship to work with the OSS as well.”

Carol and Therese knew better than to pursue any questions about what her husband did.

A few minutes later, Janice stated, “The psychologist also shared some insights into the revealing nature in which one's conversational statements and questions might indicate a nefarious motive.”

“That could be handy in catching a psycho,” blurted Therese.

“Perhaps so, Therese, and I’ll be spending some time on that this week.”

“Good … that’s exciting,” commented Therese.

“This has been a marvelous tea, Janice,” remarked Carol.

“Thank you, Carol, but you have … concerns.”

Carol glanced at the window as if to purchase a moment. Then she turned back to Janice. “I guess everyone naturally has these skills you speak of … well, at some basic level. I’m not sure—”

“Let me demonstrate, Carol.”

Janice sat down the teacup and then brought her hands to rest on her knees as she leaned towards Carol. “Carol, you don’t like me. Well, you didn’t, but you have warmed a bit. I would have displayed less affection towards Therese if I had realized the nature of your relationship. You are lovers. True lesbians. A couple. I’m a shameless flirt… I apologize. Conjuring jealously, even inadvertently, is not a good start. I saw indications of Therese’s orientation when I worked with her in Mobile, but I thought it might be a dalliance of youth.

“Therese, I can see that such is not the case; you are deeply in love with and devoted to Miss Aird. The fact that the two of you completed your recent endeavor with such poise and success indicates a deep partnership of not just the heart but also the soul. You were together 24/7 for months. Sin and I would have killed each other with that much togetherness.”

“Carol, you are proud, defensively so. Your sheer acumen, compassion, and list of achievements carry this pride over the barriers it creates. Careful, darling, I’m sure it’s bitten you in the ass, and it may again.”

She shifted to the younger woman. “Therese, you are proud as well, but not as dauntingly as your partner. You have considerable insecurities… don’t nibble at that cute little lip so much, my dear. You have a sense of your physical beauty, but you should take it more seriously.”

Janice glanced at Carol, “I imagine she wakes up looking like a sleepy angel, no?”

Carol could not respond.

“Of course she does. And such intelligence … my God! Contrastingly, Therese, you realize this and embrace it. Good for you!”

Therese coughed to clear the lump in her throat.

“Carol, Therese, I thought you courageous in taking this assignment, but now I see the true depth of your courage. A pair of women devoting their lives to one another in a relationship considered ‘illegal’ and ‘iniquitous’ by our society… well, just let me say that takes more courage than I can imagine.”

*****

Fascinated, Con watched Phil lift his pistol from the briefcase, followed by a pair of magazines and a box of cartridges. Phil closed the case and set it below the shooting bench. With the one hand, Phil adeptly loaded one of the magazines to capacity, seven rounds. He laid the loaded magazine down. He picked up the unloaded magazine and pressed it into the grip of the pistol until he heard the “click” confirming it was seated. Phil firmly grasped the handgun then hooked the rear sight on the edge of his thick belt. A firm shove downward took the slide to slide-lock. He pressed the magazine release with his right thumb, and the empty magazine dropped to the bench. Phil laid the pistol down, then inserted and seated the loaded magazine. After gripping the weapon, Phil depressed the slide release with his right thumb, and the slide slammed forward, chambering a round. Ever so slightly quartering downrange, Phil smoothly extended his right arm and fired all seven rounds in less than five seconds. The slide locked back after the seventh round. Phil ejected the empty magazine and placed the weapon on the bench. “Let’s check ‘em out, Con.”

Con hit the switches to retrieve both of their targets. The electric motors whirred, and the B-27 silhouettes, 25 yards distant, raced home to the shooters. Con’s six rounds of .38 Special clustered in his target’s nine, ten, and X rings. Phil commented, “That’s excellent shooting, boss. May a see your revolver? Con handed Phil the “FBI standard-issue” Colt Police Positive revolver. Of course, the cylinder was open.

As Phil admired the wheel gun, Con studied Phil’s target. Phil’s seven bullet holes occupied only the ten and X rings. “Therese wasn’t kidding; you are one hell of a pistol shooter, Phil.”

Phil smiled, “May I try your thirty-eight?”

“Yes, and I’ll take you up on that offer to shoot your forty-five.” He chuckled, “We can shoot our same targets; the size of the bullet holes will tell us which is which.”

Con placed six rounds of .38 Special on Phil’s bench, then transferred the Colt automatic, a magazine, and the ammo box to his own bench. He ran the targets back downrange. They loaded and fired.

“Sweet trigger job, Leatherneck!”

“Man! That is one smooth double-action, G-man!”

*****

The three women worked diligently until one. Mrs. Hatcher brought them soup and sandwiches. Three cold bottles of ginger ale accompanied the food. They chatted and laughed during lunch.

Janice tested them quickly after lunch. She roleplayed different types while Carol and Therese observed then reported their observations.

They took a walk to and around a nearby park at three. Janice wanted them to have some exercise and fresh air, but she instructed them to subtly observe any pedestrians they encountered. When they returned, Janice had them each sit with a pen and pad and physically describe whom they had encountered. The trainees were also to list three observed mannerisms of the subjects.

Janice did not reveal her excitement about their excellent results. Instead, she told them they did well but pointed out things they missed or misinterpreted. The competitive pair made mental notes to do better.

Janice stopped at five o’clock and saw them out with encouraging words and homework. Carol and Therese were charged to go somewhere that evening, a restaurant, the market, a theatre, whatever, and write up three more observations.

Phil and Con were waiting for them. The men volunteered to take the women to a bar to complete their assignments. Con suggested Martin’s Tavern on Wisconsin Avenue. They got a booth and ordered drinks. Therese and Carol split a pitcher of martinis while Phil and Con had beers.

The women were thrilled to see that the men had bonded at the range. Therese was a bit concerned about the difference in their backgrounds, but she now wondered why she had worried seeing how they got along. Con was of the type to find common ground with anyone, and Phil, open and sincere, was easy to like.

They were enjoying their drinks and joking about their days. Con informed them of a change in plans. This was Monday. The women were scheduled to work with Dr. Sinclair for the rest of the week. The men planned to take care of Phil’s paperwork and credentials on Tuesday, followed by Con giving Phil a crash course in interview and arrest techniques for the other three days. Con was going to see if Janice could move the women’s Friday session to Monday.

“On Friday, I want to drive the four of us to the six sites where the victims’ remains were found. All six of these women regularly traveled by train, some every day, and others at least twice a week. The footing in these wooded areas varies, so dress in hiking clothes with sturdy shoes or boots.”

Carol acted the giddy high school student, cheering, “Oh goody, a field trip!” She immediately gasped, “I’m sorry, y’all. That was crass of me … such a solemn task.”

Con patted her forearm. “No, Carol, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have shifted from our frivolity so abruptly.”

The women completed their observations through the most-simple means. Separately, they made trips to the lady’s room. Therese accompanied Phil to talk to a table of Marines. Carol accompanied Con to visit with a couple of FBI agents with whom he had attended the academy. They both chatted with the piano player. They all had false, mundane endeavors at the ready to shade their real mission. The woman paused to jot down a few notes on the little pads they kept in their purses.

They left the bar at eight, and all had “the special” at Scholl’s Colonial Cafeteria. The men dropped the women home at ten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ ](https://imgur.com/RNEKOqG)
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/4UwZoHX)  
> 


	19. Sites

The week raced by. An ominous air filled the car on Friday morning as they embarked on their tour of the crime scenes. Phil and Con picked up Carol and Therese at six. They stopped for bacon and eggs at a roadside diner. Carol and Con had their thermoses filled with coffee at the diner. Con’s was black for the guys, and Carol’s had cream added for the gals. They were all smoking; thus, it was good that the weather was pleasant, and they could ride with the windows down.

They started at the most distant site in Maryland with a plan to work their way back to the D.C. site then travel to Virginia for the last two. They exited the Plymouth and walked to the first site at ten-after-eight. Con had been to all of the sites at least once. They looked for the green flag left by the local cops. Phil had the angle and spotted it first.

Con read from his typed notes, “Millie Greer, aged 23, was a secretary for an insurance company. She was single, worked in D.C., and shared an apartment with two roommates. Every Saturday, she traveled home and spent the weekend with her mother in a town about two miles from here. She returned to the city on Sunday afternoons. The nearest railway stop is just around that bend to the east of us. Carrion birds led to the body's discovery on November 3, 1942, by two local boys. The buzzards had not started feeding. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds. She had probably been dead for two to three days. Her left nipple was missing, and evidence suggested it was bitten off. There was no evidence of a vaginal or anal assault.”

At the second Maryland site, Con asked Therese to read his notes, “Clarice Sheer, aged 30, was a D.C. municipal court stenographer. She commuted daily, Monday through Friday. The nearest station and her home are one mile east of the site. A beagle's barking led his master to the body while hunting for rabbits on January 12, 1943. She was a widow; her husband was killed on Midway. No one had reported her missing. Decomposition was advanced, but multiple stab wounds and the orally clipped left nipple were still evident. No evidence of VA or AA.”

Carol read at the last site in Maryland, “Joan McCurry, aged 28, was a nanny. She worked for a congressman’s family in D.C. and commuted to work on Tuesdays and returned on Saturdays. The nearest station is a half-mile to the east. Her husband always dropped her off and picked her up at the station. Her failure to be waiting for him on the usual bench led to his initiating his own search. That was August 20, 1942. The station manager reported Joan walking down the road to the west after getting off the train that day but didn’t think much about it at the time. After driving down the road and spotting his wife’s favorite hat in some weeds in a ditch, the husband found her body. A blood trail led him to the body. This was the freshest remains of the six. A bloody knuckle indicated she might have delivered a defensive blow. Fingerprints could not be pulled from any surface. Just as in all of the other cases, no handbag was found. “gi” scratched in the dirt. Same stab wounds, same missing nipple, and no evidence of VA or AA… bless her heart.”

“Bless his heart,” murmured Therese.

Phil and Con numbly nodded their heads.

No one had much of an appetite around noon, but Con insisted they grab sandwiches and RC Colas at a lunch stand near Washington's rail yard.

“You say the next one was found in a supply depot near here?”

“That’s right, Phil.” Con pointed to the north.

“Therese asked, “Con, the lower case letters in the dirt at the last one … I guess y’all considered that could mean she lived a while after the killer left her? I guess it’s too easy to think that she was identifying her attacker as a G.I.”

“Nothing is too easy, Therese. The same dirt was under the nail of her right pointer… and she was right-handed. The state investigator and local sheriff have worked the letters rigorously as to the possibility of those being the initials or first two letters of someone’s first or last name …. no luck, yet.”

They ate what they could and had a smoke, then drove to the D.C. site.

Phil read this time, “Dorothy LaBrech, aged 32, was a hospital nurse. Her body was the only one not found in a wooded area. The odor of decomposition led a dolly operator to lift a tarp concealing the nurse’s remains. That was just last month, May 3, 1943. She always worked swing shifts but the days of the week varied greatly. She traveled by train from and to Alexandria, Virginia. She was divorced with no children and lived in a small house left to her by her late parents. They estimated she had been dead for five to ten days. Only one stab wound this time, but the other stuff is the same. Dorothy is the most recent victim.” He paused to check the city map from his pocket. “Hey, this is weird; there is no passenger train station in this area.”

Staying with form, they traveled to the more distant of the two Virginia sites. It took over an hour to clear Washington and drive to the rural Virginia community.

Con read, “Helen Burman, aged 40, our oldest victim, was a restorative artist at various Washington museums and galleries.”

“A painter?” asked Carol.

“Yes,” answered Con. He continued, “She lived with her husband in the village we see in the distance; it has a small station. She has one child, a grown daughter now married and living in Florida. Helen worked as called but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Once again, carrion birds led to her body’s discovery on June 10, 1942. This time it was a farmer. She had multiple stab wounds, the chewed-off nipple, and no evidence of sexual penetration.”

Therese read at their final stop. “Mary Franks, aged 21, is the youngest victim. She was a file clerk at the Library of Congress. Mary commuted by train into D.C. every weekday morning and returned each evening. On December 22, 1942, her remains were found by a search party three days after her parents reported her failure to return home. Unmarried, Miss Franks lived with them. Their house is on a small farm a half-mile from here. She was stabbed in the back three times. Her left nipple was mutilated. There was no indication of VA or AA. Mary was married. Her husband is a soldier serving in Europe. Can you imagine having to tell him?” She paused and shook her head. “We gotta catch this monster.”

“You got that right, Rese,” said Phil.

That night, Carol emerged from their bathroom after taking a long shower. It was a warm night for Washington in June. They had opened the bedroom window. Therese showered before Carol and was already in bed with only a sheet covering her. Carol donned a cotton nighty and joined Therese. Carol could feel Therese silently sobbing. Carol cuddled up to her and began to cry as well.


	20. Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/KiAk7Ic)   
> 

“Guten morgen die damen!” chimed Janice Sinclair to her glum pupils.

The German got their attention. Mrs. Hatcher let Carol and Therese in a few minutes earlier and offered them coffee, but both declined. Mrs. Hatcher pointed out the trainees’ demeanors to her employer before Janice entered the room.

Janice assumed Friday's task had her trainees down. She decided the best course for this Monday morning would be a direct one. “Carol, tell me two things about our killer.”

“Uh … well, he’s bold and yet calculated.”

“Excellent.” Janice walked to Therese and sat down on the sofa beside her. “Therese, tell me two things all of the victims had in common.”

“They were all working women, and they regularly commute on the same train route.”

“Two more.”

“Con has seen photos of all of them from when they were alive. They are attractive and petite.”

“Good! Two more …”

“Hey!”

“Two more!”

“Fine … uh … only two were married, and only one had offspring. Two more? Okay… this demented creep snapped off all six of their left nipples with his teeth, and he killed them all by plunging a five-inch bladed weapon in their lungs, hearts, livers, or spleens. No one has dared to ask aloud, but I can’t help wonder if he chewed off the nipples while they were still alive.”

Janice stared at her. She stood and walked to her liquor cabinet. She removed a bottle of vodka, then in a shrill voice called, “Hatch, bring us the orange juice and three glasses.”

Carol and Therese accepted the colorful highballs. They had not heard of the concoction but would not forget it. Carol, cheering a bit, asked, “What do you call this?”

“My mid-morning snack.”

Carol and Therese burst into laughter. Janice proudly smirked.

*****

Con took Phil’s lead for their firearms project of the day. They drove to a garbage dump in Virginia. Phil cut a piece of cardboard to fit in an old tire. He poked a beer bottle through a slit cut in the center of the cardboard. They took turns rolling the tire down one of the mounds while the other tried to bust the bottle with his handgun. With only the round base of a bottle to aim at, it was challenging from ten yards and daunting from twenty. They expended a hundred rounds each on the addictive exercise. With his two-handed hold and lesser recoil, Con edged out Phil at his own game. They had to replace the tattered cardboard twice.

Con vowed to take some of his fellow agents on such an outing someday.

*****

It was close to five when Janice checked her watch. Before sending her students on their way, she wanted to touch on a final point. “You will have to perfect this in the field, but I want you to consider your mien when you enter the train each day and take your seat. If you are too friendly and engaging, you will seem false. If you are too reserved, you may seem unapproachable.”

Therese asked, ”What do you suggest?”

“Dear girl, don’t overthink this. Make brief eye contact with the most modest of smiles and nods. Take your seat. If no one is noticing, you initiate light conversation. Oh, and this is important … don’t make riding buddies. If you chum-up with a damn or guy and engage in a lengthy conversation, you risk blocking our prey.”

“Hmm, ’Prey’… I guess we are the hunters.”

“Most certainly, Carol.”

Janice glanced at her notes. “Run Con’s plan by me again.”

Carol nodded at Therese.

Therese spoke, “Let me just offer the example of tomorrow—”

“Good Therese … Tuesday, June 29, 1943!”

“Yes … Carol, shadowed by Con, will board a Virginia bound train at dawn. The chances of our subject being on that leg are remote. The important trip is the return leg at seven.”

“For a morning commuter.”

“Correct. And in the afternoon, they will do the same, hoping that the killer may be going home or coming in later in the day. Phil and I will mirror these activities on Maryland trains. We will swap partners and states every other day.”

“And I take it you will eventually add evening and late-night rides to your schedule?”

Carol replied, “Yes, our first night rides are planned for next week, after the 4th.”

*****

At 5:41 P.M. on Tuesday, July 20, 1943, Carol entered her passenger railcar at D.C.’s Union Station bound for Maryland. Phil entered a few minutes later and slipped into a seat several rows behind her. Carol had purchased a Washington Post at the station. She opened it and scanned the front page. Articles about the war and especially the Allied invasion of Sicily dominated the page. She had mastered the art of reading a bit then scanning the other passengers, back and forth, up and down.

They had not yet had a real “bite,” as Con put it. Con felt that Gist was meticulous. They had named him “Gist” one night while debriefing at their favorite drinking establishment, Martin’s. They struggled to come up with a man’s name that began with the letters “gi” until Therese blurted a last name. So, “Gist” it was, and yes, Gist was quite the adversary.

They assumed that once Gist selected a prospective victim, he observed them for days, if not weeks. Almost everyone lives patterned lives, especially commuters. Gist determined when and where the subject boarded and when and where they got off. Eventually, he would get off at that same platform and observe where the woman went next. Gist might do this multiple times until he was sure of a pattern. At some point, he would decide if the potential victim passed into a zone of vulnerability. If not, he scratched them. If so, he began to plan the kill. The killer’s investment in patience and time must be incredible. Con was devoted to the strategy of their making the same trips on regular schedules.

A perky blonde in the seat to Carol’s front turned and smiled at her. “Hi, Miss Aird … long day?”

“Hello, Mitzi … yes, it has been. How about you?”

“Oh, yes! My feet are killing me.”

“Well, you’ll be home soon.”

“Not soon enough. Mark will want his supper.”

“What’s on the menu for tonight?”

“His favorite, Polish sausages and kraut… not mine.”

Carol couldn’t help but laugh. The girl was cute, and her big eyes rolled like blue marbles.

“It must be hard cooking for one?”

“It has its challenges, more so, buying food for one.”

“Oh, I guess so.”

“You must come to eat with us some evening. I’ll cook something special. We could put you on a later train after supper.”

“That’s kind, dear, but I’d hate to impose on a young couple.”

“It wouldn’t be an imposition … keep it in mind.”

“I will.”

Carol dove back into her paper, and Mitzi started chatting with an elderly man across the aisle.

They arrived at Mitzi’s station a few minutes later. “See ya on Thursday, Miss Aird.”

“You too, dear.” Carol watched the girl depart. Always considering Mitzi, a potential victim, Carol subtly scanned the other passengers and those on the platform to see if anyone seemed to be paying undue attention to the attractive commuter. _What are you thinking, Carol? What red-blooded American male wouldn’t be ogling such a doll?_ On the other hand, it would definitely be significant if she saw a man following the girl.

Carol sighed. Her destination was still another half-hour up the line. She had to go into the little town and dart into a diner to eat supper, wait an hour, then catch a train heading back for D.C. at eight. Phil would have to eat a candy bar in a back room provided by the station manager. Then slip on the return train with Carol. Carol would now be a daughter returning from visiting her mother on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Phil would be a night shift worker at the newspaper. Such was life for the hunters.

In comparing notes, Therese, too, had met Mitzi. Therese traveled this same morning and evening route on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Mitzi made the trip daily to and from her secretarial position at an architectural firm. Therese found the woman a ditz and a distraction, but she agreed with the rest of the team that Mitzi was a “juicy target” for Gist.

*****

Therese and Con walked from Union Station at a ten-thirty. Tuesday’s Virginia trips had been uneventful for them. He drove her to The Potomac and wished her a good night. The night-doorman, Mr. Davis, let her in, and she wearily strode to the elevator. She heard Mr. Davis speak into the intercom. Miss Aird, Miss Belivet is on her way up.

When the elevator door opened, she saw Carol waiting for her outside their door. They smiled at each other as the distance closed. Therese entered the apartment, and Carol followed her shutting and locking the door behind them.

The curtains were drawn, and Therese could smell freshly baked cookies. “Are those peanut butter cookies?”

“Yes, they’re cooling. Thank you for calling me from Union Station. That let me know when to put them in. I’ve drawn you a hot bath.”

Carol helped Therese undress and then took her hand. She led her to the tub. Therese eased into the water. Carol knelt by the tub, soaped a cloth, and began to bathe her sweetheart. Carol took long slow strokes. Therese leaned back and moaned.

“How long have you been in?”

“A little over an hour … I showered off, put on my jammies, and then started the cookies. By the way, Mr. Davis fetched our milk delivery from the building’s fridge and passed it along to me on the way in.”

“Oh, my … fresh milk, too. Is it ice cold?”

“It is darling.”

“Mm.”

Carol washed between Therese’s thighs.

Therese opened her eyes and locked them on Carol’s. “You spoil me.”

“You deserve it, and I love you.”

“Nobody spoiled you when you came in.”

“Catch me down the road sometime when you get in first.”

“I will.”

Carol chuckled.

“Guess what?”

“What?”

“Con said he was calling Phil tonight. He wants us all to rest tomorrow. He said we have been hard at it for a solid week and need a day off.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“We can sleep in.”

“I can hardly believe it.”

“I know.”

After a while, Therese stood. Carol pulled the stopper, and the water began to drain. She lovingly patted Therese dry. Carol wrapped the towel around Therese and hugged her. “Do you want your milk and cookies now, or after I pleasure you?”

“After.” Therese kissed her. It was swimmingly delicious.

Carol led her to the bed. It was already turned down. Carol removed the towel and draped it over a chair. She placed their pillows for Therese to lean back on. Carol pulled off her PJs and crawled up onto the bed to settle between Therese’s legs. She began to love on Therese’s soft pink crescent with her fingers, lips, and tongue. Therese squirmed with pleasure. Carol loved it. Carol started very slow then increased the intensity over long glorious minutes. Therese quivered. Carol was on fire. She took Therese’s clit in her mouth while finger fucking her vagina. Therese came as hard, if not harder than she ever had. 

Later, they dressed in their pajamas and sat on the couch listening to music on the radio while devouring the cookies and milk.

Near one in the morning, Therese grabbed Carol’s hand and pulled her to the bed. It was her turn to have her way with Carol. Carol was putty in Therese’s fingers. At first, they hugged and kissed with intertwined legs; the two loved when their soft, warm skin touched one another’s. Carol sank her nails into her lover’s shoulders as Therese orally pleased Carol’s breasts while simultaneously hand fucking her. Carol bucked like a spring filly as Therese vigorously pressed the stimulation into the wee hours.

They did not arise until ten the next morning. They had coffee and toast then took a walk in Stanton Park. They chose a park bench and sat with twenty inches separation.

“Carol, I’d as soon never ride another train.”

“I know what you mean, darling.”

“And yet, I feel guilty for not being on one right at this very minute trying to stop that fiend.”

“We need this day, Therese. Try to let it go for a few hours.”

Therese smiled at her.

Out of earshot from anyone else, Carol asked, “Can you imagine me kissing you right now?“

Therese closed her eyes tight and replied, “Yes, and it’s lovely,” then her eyes popped open, “but frustrating.”

“Let’s go home.”

“Yes, ma’am … times awaistin’!”

*****

On Saturday, August 7th, Con called them all and asked if they could meet him at Martin’s around one. They did.

Carol and Therese found Phil and Con sitting at their regular booth. A cloud hung over the men. As Carol and Therese slipped in beside them, Carol asked, “What’s happened, Con?”

“A sheriff’s deputy in Maryland called me this morning; they have found another body.”

Therese clutched Phil’s hand.

Con asked, “Drafts, ladies?”

The women noted the mugs in front of the men. They nodded. Con raised two fingers to the bartender then pointed at the beers on their table. The bartender gave him a thumbs-up and went to work on the order.

Carol asked, “Everything fits?”

Con murmured, “Yes … everything: stab wounds, mutilation, gender, and age.”

Therese asked, “Are the remains very old?”

“No… this one was left near a creek. An older woman takes a walk along it daily with her golden retriever. The remains were fresh. The old gal professed that there was no way her dog could have missed it on one of her prior constitutions. The deputy tended to agree with her. Either way, the body could not have been there for more than two days based on the condition.”

The bartender brought the women’s beers.

After the barman returned to his taps and bottles, Con stated hesitantly, “If we leave shortly, we can view the site with the victim’s remains still in place.”

They sharply glanced at Therese, “After, without hesitation, she blurted, “Okay!”

As they neared the little Maryland community with its picturesque creek, Carol thought about this being a few miles from Mitzi’s stop. She had not seen her on Thursday. She asked Therese, “Did you see Mitzi on Friday?”

Therese thought for a moment then replied, “No, she wasn’t on the train yesterday … either direction.”

“Wednesday?”

“Yes. Did you see her Thursday?”

“No.”

Con and Phil knew Mitzi as well. Con squeezed his eyes shut, cursing himself for not noticing the effervescent young woman’s absence from his last Maryland trip.

They approached a cluster of deputies and one civilian. A blanket covered the dead body. Con assumed the older gentleman in a suit and tie was a coroner. He was right. After introductions, the coroner looked sternly at Therese and Carol. “Are you two sure you're up for this?”

They nodded.

He knelt and pulled the blanket back to expose the cadaver fully. All visions of Mitzi were dashed from their minds. The raven-haired victim was a tall woman probably in her thirties. She was dressed in an expensive suit, a summer-weight skirt, and blazer. Her cream-colored linen blouse was blood-soaked. They could only tell that its original shade was cream by the collar.

Con asked, “None of you recognize her?”

“The chief deputy replied, “No, she ain’t from around here. Looks like a city woman … money.”

“Any footprints … how about a purse, a handbag?”

The chief deputy shook his head, “Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen… not a trace. It’s like some giant bird just dropped her here.” Of course, that made everyone look up into the branches then feel foolish.

Con asked, “I take it you’ve turned her over?”

“The coroner growled, “Yep ... here we go.” He proceeded to grasp the victim’s shoulder and gently roll her on her side. He pointed at the dark entry wounds on her back. “If I had to guess, that lowest one was all that was needed.”

Con asked, “How so, sir?”

“It was angled up under the ribs and twisted… probably in the heart. See how the hole is round while the others are narrow slits. Also, a tremendous amount of blood drained from that one. I was in a doughboy in World War I. We had some Sioux warriors that specialized in taking out German sentries. That’s how they’d do it. Slip up behind ’em, then reach around and grasp their mouth while slipping their knife up under the ribs and into the heart. Yes, sir… that’s my guess. Those other pokes were just for insurance… or fun.”

“Phil confirmed, “That’s how we did it on Guadalcanal.”

The local men stared at Phil. Con clarified, “Marine.”

The coroner eased the body onto its back, and then he pulled open the blouse noting, “See how some of the buttons are missing. This was probably ripped open after death, or at least after this poor woman lost consciousness. Note the stab wound in the sternum; there is no matching entry point in the blouse or coat.” He scowled, “And, I don’t know what to make of that mangled breast, but I see at least two teeth marks.” He noticed how non-phased the outsiders were. “Goddamn, son, have you got other victims like this? My guess is he bit her nipple off, and since there’s not a trace of the missing body part, I believe the fucker swallowed it… pardon my language, ladies.” He knew Con was not going to respond, but he’d had his say. The old coroner stood on his creaky knees. He glanced at Carol and Therese. “Geez, you gals are salty. Two of these deputies had thrown up by the time I got here.”

Con proudly nodded at his team.

The chief deputy announced, “Agent Slate, we did like you instructed and kept the press out of this, but how long do you think something like this can stay a secret.”

“Not long, Deputy, but maybe long enough. Remember, folks, Mr. Hoover and Mr. Roosevelt want this kept quiet.”

The old coroner tromped off, grumbling, “Good luck with that, G-man.”

Con expended an entire roll of film from his camera, photographing the scene. After he finished, they covered the body. The chief deputy pointed out, “Slate, rain is forecast for tonight. We gotta move her.”

“I understand. Would everyone join us in making sweeps of this area … at least 200 yards in all directions? Maybe we’ll find something.”

The deputies eagerly nodded. One of the young deputies asked, “What should we look for?”

“Anything and everything … imagine what possessions a woman like this would carry. Her clothes seemed totally intact other than the penetration points, so don’t focus on pieces of fabric matching her clothing. Look for a fabric from a man’s clothing.”

They diligently searched the woods, the nearby paved road, and the creek banks until dusk.

The chief deputy shook Con’s hand. “Agent Slate, she’ll be at the coroner’s funeral home under a Jane Doe. You guys and gals take care driving home and let us know something by Monday.”

“Will do, Chief … hey, I was kind of surprised that your sheriff never dropped by.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have mentioned that he is in the hospital with pneumonia.”

“Wow! How’s he doing?”

“His doc says he’s improving and can probably come home by Tuesday.”

“Good … give him our best.”

“I will. Hey, you guys catch this murdering SOB!”

All four of them nodded.

They got in the car. There was a pregnant silence. The women and Phil noticed that Con was just sitting with his hands on the wheel and staring out the windshield. Con slammed the steering wheel with his palms and exclaimed, “Right under our noses!”

Carol reached from the back seat and began to massage Con’s neck and shoulders. She softly spoke, “We’re in no hurry, Con. You start the car whenever you feel like it.”


	21. A Chance Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/y7dnpaP)   
> 

The team intensified its efforts in the days following the discovery of the seventh victim. A missing person report out of D.C. led the authorities to identify “Jane Doe” as Rachel Spencer. She was the 26-year-old daughter of James Spencer of the Spencer Mining Company. Rachel lived with her aunt in D.C. and was engaged to the son and heir of another mining company, the Patter Group. Her fiancé was a Navy navigator crewing on a PBY Catalina out of Iceland. Friends and family were at a loss to know why she would have been traveling in Maryland. Her gruesome death made the papers on August 16th. One leak led to another and blew the chain of murders wide open. As predicted, paranoia gripped the commuting community and caused quite the turmoil.

Con felt their baiting mission was no longer worth the time and treasure. To make a last try, Con had them meet for a brainstorming session at FBI headquarters on Friday, August 20th. The only suggestion that stuck was one proposed by the women. Carol and Therese wanted to question friends and family members of the victims. Con made a bold move; he decided to use his budget to purchase new outfits for Carol and Therese. He wanted them to look top dollar for Miss Spencer’s funeral. Two flies on the wall might pick something up while a face-to-face law enforcement interview would send the elites scurrying to their basements. The funeral was the next day, so Phil and Con took Carol and Therese to one of the best dress shops in town.

He told them to get the works: dresses, hats, gloves, hose, shoes, and handbags. The men drove them to the church for the funeral on Saturday morning. There was also a tighter gathering at the Spencer home following the graveside service. One of Con’s bosses knew Mr. Spencer and got permission for the ladies to attend as “reserved observers.” Therese let the more experienced and worldly Carol lead.

Carol and Therese were beginning to fear another bust after nothing worth noting came from the church or graveside services. At the Spencer home, it was a different story. Sitting near a table of young society women, Therese caught an exchange between two of them.

“I bet I know what she was up to in Maryland.”

“Hush, Betty … it’s not the time for such.”

Then, as the crowd was beginning to thin following the light lunch and mingling, those same two women walked up to Carol and Therese with irked expressions. They had downed several alcoholic beverages at this point.

“Are you two a couple of Rachel’s 'special friends'?”

The reserved observers had cover stories, but Carol decided to go with it, “Well, I guess you could say that.”

“My God, I can’t believe you dykes had the gall to come here.”

A soberer member of their circle soon closed on the tipsy pair and firmly grasped their arms to pull them away. Carol and Therese departed immediately and broke into grins as they approached the guys.

Con, gauging their expressions, asked, “What the hell is up?”

Over the following two weeks, their conversations with the relatives, friends, and acquaintances of the other victims were hit and miss. However, the hits were golden. They often revealed hints of sapphic activity throughout the pool of victims. Such treasures never came easy, but Carol and Therese were attuned for the subtle remarks and body language. Finally, Con had a link and a possible motive.

It was noted that those last few days of train riding still found Mitzi absent. They wondered if she might be another victim whose remains were yet to be discovered? Phil dismissed it, “Maybe she and her husband moved, or she might have just changed jobs or been fired. Shit like that happens all the time.”

They recalled her last name was Campbell. Con put out feelers with his contacts along the Maryland route for any information about Mark or Mitzi Campbell. After several days without a single hit, they all assigned a question mark to their mental images of Mitzi Campbell.

On a hunch, Phil accompanied Therese to a remote little D.C. nightclub located on the same side of town as the supply depot at which RN Dorothy Labrech’s body was found. It was a known lesbian nightspot. They went in the afternoon with a cover story. Pretending to be two southern cousins of Dorothy’s, they asked the owner if Dorothy’s handbag might have been turned in; the police never found it. The distant family members were hoping to locate Dorothy’s missing safe deposit box key.

The owner had read in the paper of Dorothy’s murder. She unhesitatingly stated, “That broke my heart about Dot, but no, no handbag of that description or any other for that matter has been found or turned in for months.” A bit insulted, the owner added, “If it had been here and it contained anything with her name, I would have taken it to her at the hospital.”

Therese consoled, “Oh, I’m sure you would have, ma’am. We’re just trying to keep from having the box drilled.”

“Well … I can see your problem.”

Therese gently touched her hand, “It sounds like you knew her well.”

Moved and surprised, the middle-aged proprietor was drawn to the doe eyes staring from across the bar. “Uh … yeah, Dot was pretty much a regular.”

They chatted a bit longer, asking a few more questions. Just as Therese and Phil were leaving, Therese turned and asked, “By chance, did our cousin seem to make any new friends around the time of her disappearance?”

The proprietor scanned her establishment. Therese assumed she was making a mental image of “Dot” moving about tables and booths. “Oh, yeah, there was a new gal frequenting the joint about that time. She and Dot seemed to hit it off. It surprised me … there was an age gap between them. Damn, she was a baby doll! A perky blonde … barely twenty.”

“Do you recall her name?”

“I’m sorry, no.”

“Well, thanks again.”

“Wait! You know what? I’ve never seen that little cutie since then.”

“By ‘Then’ … you mean the time Dorothy, uh—?”

“Exactly.”

Carol and Con were anxiously awaiting the return of Phil and Therese. Working from Con’s apartment, they had created a wallboard with photographs of each victim, newspaper clippings, and a map pinned with the crime scenes and the train stations.

Carol took the last scissor snip freeing Rachel Spencer’s obituary from its newspaper page. As is human nature, she flipped it over to curiously see what article or advertisement she had maimed. It was a children’s clothing ad from J. C. Penney. Just as she was about to flip it back to the obit, something at the bottom of its right edge caught her eye. She carried the page and her clipping to Con, who was working at his dining table. He glanced at her questioningly. She spread the page before him with the advertisement's side facing up. She carefully placed her clipping back in its spot on the page. Carol pointed at the four-letter word divided evenly by her cut.

Con belted, “Shit! Joan McCurry was trying to tell us her killer was a girl!”

A few minutes later, Therese and Phil knocked and excitedly burst in. As Therese exclaimed, “It’s Mitzi!” Carol proclaimed, “It’s a girl!”

As one, they asked each other, “What?”

*****

As of Thanksgiving Day, 1943, not a trace of the personage known as Mitzi Campbell had been found. Con had been given a heads up that his team would soon be disbanded. The last reported victim of the "Commuter Killer" was Rachel Spencer. The team feared that “Mitzi” had either stopped or fled. They leaned towards the latter. Janice, with the able assistance of Mrs. Hatcher, was graciously hosting Thanksgiving Dinner. The guest of honor was Gunnery Sergeant Dannie McElroy. Danny was awarded the Navy Cross for actions rendered on Bougainville. He lost both the little and ring fingers of his left hand in said combat. Orders were issued to make a yearlong bond tour, but first, he had 30 days of leave.

Fore Jamison had traveled up a week earlier and stayed with Carol and Therese. Danny arrived on Friday. Fore and Dannie were married by a Marine Chaplain on Saturday afternoon. They checked into a lovely Virginia lakeside inn that evening, and no one had heard from them until they arrived at Dr. Sinclair’s on Thanksgiving Day.

The dinner was superb. The menu consisted of oyster soup and oyster crackers, roast young turkey with giblet gravy and oyster dressing, Virginia baked ham, cranberry sauce, buttered peas, celery, hearts of lettuce with mayonnaise, stuffed olives, sweet mixed pickles, fresh bread, _Parker House_ rolls, butter, fruitcake, pumpkin pie, mixed nuts, mixed candies, apples, oranges, bananas, coffee, grape punch, and milk.

After dinner, Carol took to the ivory of Janice’s Blüthner piano and regaled them with an eclectic mix. She thought she was finished until Janice slid onto the bench beside her. After whispering back and forth, they laughed then double-teamed Hoagy Carmichael’s “Heart and Soul,” complete with a few added flourishes.

It was a great day; even the disheartened Connor Slate was cheered by the festivities.

*****

On Friday, November 26th, Con had meetings at the Bureau. He cut the team loose for a three-day weekend. At nine, Phil, Carol, and Therese saw Dannie and Fore off to go visit her parents. They bid the newlyweds farewell at Union Station then took a cab to the park for tennis and a picnic. It was a very mild day, partly cloudy with light breezes.

Phil had never played the game, but he was a quick learner. The missing arm presented special challenges; the three of them had fun working on creative solutions. About half-past eleven, Therese volunteered to go purchase food and drinks. She walked a couple of blocks to her favorite hotdog stand.

Ahead of her in line was a redhead and a couple of sailors. The woman got her hot dog turned and walked south. Therese looked down and away as soon as she recognized Mitzi’s profile. Therese subtly moved to the side of the sailors for cover as they placed their order. She edged around to the side of the stand. Therese peeked around the small structure to observe Mitzi.

There were many people on the street, so it would be easy to lose sight of Mitzi if she let her get too far ahead. Therese spotted a shoeshine boy just past the stand leaning on a storefront. She walked towards him while fishing a dollar from her purse. “Hey, sweetie, I’ll pay you a dollar to go tell the couple I’m playing tennis with that T is following redheaded Mitzi south on Sycamore.” She glanced to make sure the bouncing red hair was still in view.

His eyes grew big, “A whole dollar! Heck yeah, lady! Just right over there at the courts?”

“That’s right … you can’t miss ’em … the man is missing an arm, and the woman is a honey blonde with glasses.”

“Okay!”

“Wait, darlin', what’s the message?”

“T is following redheaded Mitzi south on Sycamore.”

“Very good. Tell them T said to give you another dollar after delivering the message.”

He nodded, and with shoeshine box in hand, he sped to the courts.

Therese looked up just in time to see the red hair disappearing around a corner. Therese was so glad the three of them were dressed in slacks, sweaters, and sneakers. She sprinted the block to the corner, stopped, and then eased around it. It took her a couple of seconds, but she spotted Mitzi. Mitzi turned and entered a building. Therese walked quickly to the building but had to duck into a camera store entrance across the street. Mitzi had bounced back out the building and down its stairs.

Therese waited a moment, then checked to see if Mitzi was still in sight. She was. Therese walked along this far side of the street, shadowing the suspect. Mitzi had been eating her hotdog as she walked. She stopped a moment to window shop while taking the last couple of bites. Mitzi tossed its wrapper in a waste can at the corner after she resumed her westerly direction. By this point, Therese doubted if Carol and Phil could find her, but Therese felt she had no other option but to press on.

Mitzi turned down an alley. Therese darted to the alley, and after a pause, glanced around its corner. Mitzi was nowhere to be seen. Therese had to throw caution to the wind. She slowly advanced down the vacant alley.

“Hold it right there, Belivet. Walk to me slowly.”

Therese couldn’t help but notice what a funny looking pistol Mitzi had. The tiny bore gave it away as a .22 caliber, but Therese had seen enough goats and hogs slaughtered with twenty-twos to have a healthy respect for them. Therese took a few steps toward the Mitzi. The area was a loading dock.

“That’s close enough.”

“Mitzi, I’m working with law enforcement. We just want to ask you a few questions, darling. Put that automatic back in your purse and come with me.”

“Shut the fuck up, bitch, and turn around.”

“I won’t do that. If you’re going to shoot me, you can shoot me while looking into my eyes. You are not going to stab me in the back.”

Mitzi slurred, “You little cunt … I always thought something was wrong about you on the train. Now, I see." Speaking out loud to herself, Mitzi uttered, "Teddy girl, your momma was right to ‘always trust your instincts.’”

“Teddy?”

“Theodorus… papa wanted a boy. Now! Turn the fuck around.”

“No!”

Teddy rolled her eyes in exasperation, allowing the emotion to take her muzzle off of Therese. Therese flung her bag at Teddy then broke to her own right, angling away from her assailant. Teddy recovered quickly and double-tapped two rounds in Therese’s direction. Therese felt a sting in her right arm. She dove behind a dumpster. Teddy emerged from the loading dock but couldn’t see Therese.

Crouched behind the dumpster, Therese ignored the blood oozing from the front and back of her bicep. It hurt, but it seemed to work fine. She had Tommy’s Christmas gift clenched in her fist. She slipped her thumbnail in the notch of its longest blade and unfolded it.

Teddy was now close enough to see that the carport across from the dumpster was empty, so now she knew Therese had to be behind the far side of the dumpster. “C’mon, gorgeous, let Teddy see you…”

Phil’s voice boomed from the street, “Put the gun down, Mitzi, or I’ll shoot you dead.”

Teddy spun and sprayed 40-grain lead projectiles in Phil’s direction. Phil fired simultaneously. His 230-grain full metal jacket bullet hit Teddy in the shoulder. Her back slammed onto the cobblestones directly in front of Therese. Teddy was trying to rise and continue firing. Therese plunged the pocketknife's three-inch blade into the soft spot at the base of Teddy’s throat. Teddy gasped and released her grip on the pistol, but adrenaline was driving Therese. She made three more stabs into the killer’s chest.

Phil limped up to them with Carol at his side. Blood accentuated the tiny hole in his pants on his right thigh. Keeping his weapon pointed at the doomed redhead, Phil felt the Hi-Standard Model H-B was too close for comfort. He asked Carol, “Can you pick up her pistol and clear it?”

Carol lifted the gun, ejected its magazine, then snapped the slide back, emptying the chamber. She had learned much hanging around Phil and Con. Carol dropped the handgun in her purse and then knelt to tend to her Therese.

Together, they watched the Commuter Killer take her last breaths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/jhbpJ1c)   
> 


	22. Deadly Path

Carol took charge and acted quickly. She retrieved Therese’s handbag, cleared Phil’s .45, and slipped it in the bag. A beat cop showed up within minutes. She showed him all of their credentials and asked him to keep people away from the scene until FBI representatives arrived.

A merchant gave towels to Carol, and she wrapped them tightly around her friends’ injured limbs. She used a payphone to call the team’s emergency number at the Bureau. The operator took the nearest street address and said she would locate and inform Special Agent Slate immediately. An ambulance came and whisked Therese and Phil to the hospital.

Con and two fellow agents arrived a quarter-hour later, as did a contingent of D.C. police and detectives. Carol gave Con a concise report of the last hour’s events and handed him the firearms. Con grabbed a rookie agent and ordered him to drive Carol to the hospital to look after Therese and Phil. Con expertly handled the lawmen's politics and egos, but he was getting some pushback from the PD until they paled at the next arrival. J. Edgar Hoover pulled up with his entourage, including his favorite newspaper reporter and photographer. Posed behind Teddy’s bloody corpse, “The Director” patted Con on the back and shook his hand as the flashbulb popped.

Theodorus Patricia Quaid’s driver's license was in her handbag along with her library card, ration book, compact, comb, lipstick, a half-full box of .22 Long Rifle cartridges, three handkerchiefs, and what appeared to be a custom made sheathed dagger with a six-inch blade.

The Washington street-address on Teddy’s license lead Con and his agents to an apartment building close to Union Station. The neighbors knew little about the blonde, recently turned redhead, who came and went at all hours and never gave anyone the time of day.

The apartment was plainly furnished and decorated but very tidy. A large box of chocolates on a small bookshelf caught Con’s eye. He picked it up to examine and found it emitted an odor of both decay and perfume. Upon opening it, his stomach turned. Seven mangled pieces of flesh decorated the floor of the box like a macabre stamp collection; there was room for more. A pink sachet was taped inside the lid.

Two suitcases and a trunk were in the bedroom. Almost fully packed, Teddy was in the process of leaving. Over twelve thousand dollars in mixed paper currency and coin were in the trunk.

Late in the afternoon, Con traveled to the hospital to check on his people. Therese and Phil had rooms on the same floor, but Phil, against orders, had wheel-chaired down to join his teammates. Con smiled, finding Carol hovering about her injured friends. He urged her to sit.

Therese said, “Thank you, Con. She’s going to pass out flitting around like that.”

Con hugged the ladies and patted Phil on the shoulder. Phil proudly stated, “Boss, they’re both clean flesh wounds … through and through … zip!”

Carol growled, “Please, Phil, enough with the elucidation!”

Con chuckled, “That’s great news … we were lucky.”

They nodded.

Con asked Phil, “Hey, buddy, I gotta ask, were you playing tennis while packing that cannon?”

“Oh, hell, no! Earlier, I had it under the sweater tucked in my waistband ... you know, behind my hip, but I gave it to Carol to put in her purse while we played.”

“Okay … Wait … it was fortunate you didn’t have Therese stow it. She’d of been off and running with your weapon.”

Therese quipped, “That’d been fine. I would have blasted that demon bitch myself.”

The others roared at her remark.

Therese extended her arms, helplessly, “What?”

A nurse stuck her head in and told them to quiet down.

Con perched on the corner of Therese’s bed. “Speaking of said ‘demon bitch’ let me tell you about my visit to her residence.” His audience was all ears as he told them about the discoveries of the past few hours.

*****

The most illuminating findings in Teddy’s luggage were a personal file and a diary. The personal file had the documents one collects throughout life. They found a birth certificate, report cards, and a high school diploma, all from South Bend, Indiana. Teddy was older than she had come across to Therese and Carol; she was 23. On Saturday, Con contacted the field agent in South Bend and requested he check out Benjamin, Roberta, and Theodorus Quaid.

The Bureau’s man in South Bend called Con on Monday with a report. Born in South Bend in 1920, Teddy was an only child. Ben and Roberta Quaid were killed when their house burned down in 1939. Teddy was a freshman at Saint Mary’s College. Even though it was in their city, Teddy lived in the dorm.

Teddy was the beneficiary of their life insurance policies plus the sole heir in their wills. The fire insurance company agreed to rebuild the home, but there was no mortgage, so Teddy opted for a check and then sold the lot. She withdrew from college and moved away. The South Bend agent lost her after that.

Con read a few pages in the diary then decided it best turned over to Carol and Therese. They each read through it a couple of times, taking copious notes. Therese was released from the hospital on Monday. They called Janice that afternoon about the content. Janice insisted Therese and Carol stay home; she dropped by their apartment on Tuesday. They briefed Janice on their findings. She was impressed and intrigued. The diary was signed over to her in the chain of evidence log. Janice had an OSS clerk type a copy of the diary then couriered the copy to the aforementioned OSS psychologist. All four met at The Potomac on Saturday and worked most of the day on a report. The soreness of her arm made typing quite painful for Therese, so Janice had Con assign an FBI secretary to type their report on Monday, December 6th. All three women proofed it on Tuesday. After the retyping of two pages, they delivered the final report to Con. Con sat in his office all day on Wednesday, studying the report. Teddy’s diary was raw and candid. It was a full disclosure of a horrid adolescence and young adulthood. It was also a confession.

Despite their best efforts, Ben and Roberta Quaid could not get Teddy to show any interest in boys. They forced or bribed her to attend a few “vital” dances and socials with one willing lad or the other, but the “dates” went badly. Ben talked to their priest about it. The holy man met with Teddy about the issue, and she ended up telling him, “Go to hell, father!”

He and Ben discussed it and thought it best for Ben to beat some sense into the girl. She fought back. Her mother would retreat to the master bedroom screaming in anguish and hideout for days. In the 10th grade, an angry parent called Ben reporting that he had caught Teddy kissing his daughter. In a fit of desperation and rage, Ben decided to show Teddy what she would be missing in life, “He tied her to her bed and raped her.” Her mother heard her daughter’s cries for help but did not intervene. After that, Teddy went sullen but compliant. The parents surrendered into a fog of depression and guilt.

Teddy’s schoolwork suffered, but amazingly, she managed to graduate and did what her parents wanted her to do; she applied to and was accepted at Saint Mary’s. A couple of failed attempts at relationships with high school girls and later college women left Teddy emotionally scarred. After the last of these college interactions, Teddy concocted a plan to slip out of the dorm one night and set fire to her parents' house. She described the glee she felt when she returned to her dorm room that night.

The psychologist wrote that Teddy came to despise her own true sexual identity because of the emotional and physical pain inflicted on her by her parents. She moved around the country, living on her inheritance and the insurance money. She sought out lesbian bars or nightclubs in these communities and desperately searched for sex and love. She was inexorably drawn to women, but always, she would flee in panic at some point in the seduction.

Teddy moved to Washington, D.C., in March of 1942. The only diary entry in red ink describes Teddy’s first homicide. Helen Burnam, the 40-year-old painter, made a pass at Teddy in a D.C. bar. Teddy rejected the advance and left the establishment only to wait across the street. When Helen left to catch her train for home, Teddy followed her. There was no plan. She managed to enter Helen’s car and find a seat where she remained undetected. When Helen reached her stop and exited, so did Teddy. Con had discovered that Helen always enjoyed her walk from the station to her house. It was a quiet country lane. Fate delivered the rookie killer a soft target. Teddy quickly evolved into a true psychopath, a chameleon, with Mitzi Campbell being just one of her assumed identities.

Her weapons were in the diary as well. Teddy’s father had brought the “gaucho knife” home from his National Guard unit’s 1916 deployment to Mexico. Teddy wrote, “They did not catch Pancho Villa, but “Daddy captured a dagger.” Teddy stole it from her father’s desk to keep in her purse after she left for college. When living in Bowling Green, she mail-ordered the .22 caliber pistol directly from Hi Standard’s Connecticut factory. The day it appeared in her post office box, she went to a hardware store, purchased 500 rounds of ammunition, and drove out to a gravel pit. She practiced until she could “make a soup can dance at fifteen yards.”

Teddy’s last diary entry was dated the day before her death. It was succinct. “Things are too hot here. I can't hunt. I must hunt. Time to move.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/w6QTfng)   
> 


	23. Holiday Road Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/jX2sgTc)  
>  1939 Plymouth Advertisement
> 
> Girls, best grab a box of Kleenex tissues.

On Monday, December 13, 1943, Con held the final meeting of his Commuter Killer Team. After reviewing a few key points and fielding some questions, Con handed Carol, Therese, and Phil envelopes. The envelopes contained checks in the amount of their final pay, including one hundred dollar bonuses as awarded by Director Hoover.

Janice Sinclair was present. Con looked at her and nodded. She spoke to the Alabamians, “I know those checks are bittersweet. They are generous, but they signal finality. Con and I have suggestions and job offers for the three of you.”

Con glanced at the 21-year-old brunette and paused. “Therese, I have been promoted to Supervisory Special Agent. I accepted the position with an understanding that I can pick my own secretary. Do you want the job?”

Shocked, Therese brought her hand to her sternum. “But Con, there must be other FBI employees more experienced and better suited for that position.”

“More experienced, yes, but better suited, no. Oh … I forgot to mention that it’s a Washington based position.”

Therese glanced at Carol. Carol smiled and winked at her.

“Well then, Supervisory Special Agent Slate, when do I start?”

“My position does not officially begin until January 17th, a Monday. I’ve spoken to a dear friend and colleague at the Bureau. She is our lead trainer for secretaries. She is going to give you a 10-day crash course beginning Wednesday, January 5th.”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll be there with bells on!”

Janice chimed, “Congratulations, Therese. Now, Carol, I need two of me; the OSS is ramping up operations in the Western Theater next year. We are hard-pressed, training enough agents. You speak French quite well and have a good knowledge of Latin. If you will undertake my own ‘crash course’ in German, I would love for you to come on board with me as a trainer of spies. We will also be picking up Russian in the coming year.”

“Would we be working out of the OSS facility on Navy Hill?”

“Yes. There would be some occasional travel, but it would be regional and a for a day or two at most.”

Carol glanced at Therese. Therese winked at her.

“I’d be honored, Janice. Thank you.”

“Good! I know the two of you want to Christmas in Mobile, so let’s say you come in on the same day as Therese, the 5th.”

Therese and Carol subtly held hands underneath the table.

Phil was excited for his friends; he stepped Therese's side and enveloped the women in a big one-armed hug.

Janice spoke up, “Gunny McElroy, I’m not done with you.”

“A bit shocked, Phil looked up at Janice.”

Janice’s demeanor darkened, “I’ve not said anything about this, but one of our operatives in Germany has tipped me off. The Nazi’s know of my work and German origin. They want me dead. One would-be assassin was liquidated this past year. In short, Phil, I… and for that matter, Carol, need security. I think a one-armed Marine would do nicely, especially one we can trust; your security clearance was beyond reproach.

Phil laughed, “January 5th?”

“Do you have travel plans?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow!”

“Yes, the latest class of agent trainees has just started. You don’t need all of it, but I would appreciate your auditing their training for a few days to better understand what we are about. And I’d like to add that many of them struggle with the firearms training segments of the program; I think observing your skill with a handgun would be instilling.”

“Great, Janice, I’m in!”

“Get with me after we adjourn, and I’ll fill you in on the details.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

*****

Carol and Therese departed for South Alabama on Friday, December 17, 1943. They drove their new car, that is, new to them. Con had upgraded to a brand new Plymouth. He decided that he could now afford such a treat, and his new vehicle’s more sedate black color would be better in keeping with his new position. He made the women a fair price on his old one.

Con recently had new snow tires installed on the maroon four-door, but the cautious couple decided to pass on the mountainous route through Kentucky and Tennessee. They left with ample travel time. A leisurely pace through the Carolinas and across Georgia was the plan. They stopped along the way whenever something caught their fancy. The temperature rose as their latitude declined. They had packed accordingly.

Before departing, they proudly applied for and received their X Sticker for their car’s windshield. Both of the women were federal employees of two different vital services. No one ever gave them a hassle at the gas pumps along the way.

On the day before their departure, Janice called then dropped by their apartment. She gave them a key and a map. If they chose to do so, she wanted them to use her oceanside cottage on Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia. They hugged and thanked her.

Tybee was gorgeous. Shorts and sweaters were perfect for walking on the beach and knocking around the island. They wore light cotton dresses to sightsee in Savannah. They spent December 20th through the 22nd on the island. On the evening of the 21st, they took to the beach to walk off their low-country boil of shrimp, crab, and crawfish.

At the point, well past the lighthouse and in the offseason, not a soul was in sight. They stopped, joined hands, and pledged their hearts to one another for life. Each had purchased a ring for the other. Carol’s for Therese was engraved with tiny flowers and made of yellow gold. Therese’s for Carol was of white gold and engraved in an art deco pattern. They wed in spirit and their own eyes. They wore the bands to Janice’s cottage. The cold metal would warm as they made love for hours then slept in each other’s embrace. As they departed Savannah the next day, they stopped at a jewelry store. Each purchased simple gold necklaces to carry their rings over their hearts when in public.

They arrived at the Liner home at dusk on the 23rd. Tater dashed to hug them. Therese exclaimed, “My goodness, you’ve grown!” Carter Bell Liner was age fourteen and stood five-foot-four.

Lucy emerged and embraced Therese. “Honey, I’ve missed you so. My darlin’, darlin’ girl… so, so much.”

“Oh, Momma, I’ve missed you too.”

Lucy pushed Therese back. “Here, let me look at you. Lands sakes alive, you’re a woman … and simply gawgeous!”

“Oh, Momma, hush.”

They embraced again and began to sob.

Carol took Tater’s arm and walked with her to the house. “We’ll give them a minute.”

They chattered, joked, and laughed while Lucy finished preparing supper. Lucy had not known exactly when the women would arrive. She apprehensively shared the menu. “Carol, I don’t know how this will hit ya… Tater killed two big fat cottontails with Tommy’s rifle this morning. I’ve cooked ’em down nice and tender with dumplings. We’ll have some green beans I put up in August and cornbread on the side.

Without hesitation, Carol chimed, “It smells marvelous, Lucy! I had rabbit years ago. When Daddy was still strong enough, he would hunt them with a friend and his beagles. I loved them fried. I can’t wait to try them this way.”

Lucy grinned. “Tater, let’s set the table.”

Tater frowned.

Lucy saw that Carol and Therese noticed, and she felt an explanation was called for. “Oh, she has done outgrown ‘Tater’ and wants to be called Carter.”

Carol spontaneously hugged Carter. “Well, I think Carter is a fine name for a beautiful young woman.”

“Thank you, Miss Aird!”

“And I think a young woman should call me Carol.”

Lucy watched the pair and felt that Carter now had the aunt she always lacked.

After a big country breakfast and the chilly morning chores, Therese and Carol brought in the Christmas present intended for Lucy and Carter. Therese announced, “We want you to have this early. I think you’ll agree after you see what it is.”

Hesitantly, Lucy and Carter began to unwrap the big package. They gasped. They still had no telephone, but the community had finally got electricity the year before. Carter darted to plug in the new radio, unwind its aerial, and drape it over the fireplace mantle.

“Gals, that musta cost y’all a fortune. Just look at that pretty cabinet! What is that, cherry?”

“It is, Momma,” proudly declared Therese.

Carter quickly had it tuned to Christmas music. In awe, Therese asked, “How did she do that so quickly?”

Lucy laughed, “Oh, she goes over to Mrs. Wallace’s on Sunday afternoons to bake and listen to the radio. She’s an expert.”

Carol and Therese put their arms around each other’s waists and looked on warmly as Lucy and Carter pulled their chairs up close to the radio. The big fire crackled with oak logs, and its glorious heat radiated throughout the room.

In the afternoon, President Roosevelt came on the radio and announced that General Dwight D. Eisenhower would take command of all Allied forces in Europe and lead the long-awaited invasion of the continent.

Therese and Carol accompanied Lucy and Carter to their midnight church service. Carol thought the choir spectacular, and she greatly admired the fine pianist. After his brief sermon, the preacher asked for families with servicemen or women to come to the altar. He paused at each family and prayed with them for their particular sailor, soldier, or airman.

A tear ran down Lucy’s cheek as he took her hand. “Lucy Liner, have you received any word from our dear Tommy this week?”

“Yes, Pastor Cobb… a letter on Monday; he is fine. He is working at a place called Portsmouth in England. They unload tanks and bombs off of ships.”

“Tanks and bombs? Yes, the weapons of war. Lord, help us in this time of great violence. The book says, ‘Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed.’ We didn’t start this war, but the Good Lord willin’, we gonna finish it. Pray with me y’all.” He paused a moment and took Carter’s hand as well. “Dear Jesus, watch over this family’s son and brother. Tommy is a good soul, Lord. We pray that you help him and his fellow sailormen defeat the Axis powers' evil and then see them safely home to us. We need good strong men like Tommy Liner to return and live fruitful lives among us. Amen.”

“God bless you, Pastor.”

“God bless you, Miss Lucy.”

They got in the Plymouth and drove home. No one said anything. There was love in their silence.

On Christmas morning, Mrs. Wallace joined them. She brought all kinds of Christmas goodies and some homemade bread. They exchanged gifts and sang along with the carols on the radio. They had ham and a plethora of Miss Lucy’s canned vegetables for Christmas dinner. Mrs. Wallace’s bread and a dish of freshly churned butter were the perfect complements to the country meal. It was a golden day.

*****

Carol and Therese departed on the 28th, headed for Mobile. They stopped in Thomasville and gave Abby a heads up call at Mrs. Cleary’s. Unexpectedly, Abby answered the phone, “Mrs. Cleary’s Boarding House for Women … may I help you?”

Carol chuckled, “Yes, you may, Abby Gerhard.”

“Carol!”

“No, Mrs. Clause.”

“Smartass!”

“Trashy mouth!”

“When are you going to get here?”

“We’re in Thomasville … just stopped to call. We’re going to check-in at the Battle House first. I reserved two rooms through the second. I think we can drive home safely in three days and start our new jobs on the 5th.”

“Two rooms?”

“Well, for pretense … you know?”

“Sure.”

“Hey, we hoped you’d come and stay in one of them.”

“That’d be great! We’ll have a blast! I’ll reimburse you.”

“No, no, darling, it’s our Christmas present to you.”

“Well…”

“Short for words there, Jabby Abby?”

“Oh, you…”

“Hey, you wrote and said you’d be off from ADDSCO until the 2nd, right?”

“You got it, sister!”

“Marvelous! Y’all got room for two former boarders at the supper table?”

“Of course, Mrs. C has worn me out asking, ‘When will they be here?’ and ‘Have you heard from them?’ so y’all get your cute asses in gear.”

“Yes, ma’am. Hey, I love you, A.”

“I love you, too, C.”

*****

Carol and Therese were smothered with hugs when they arrived at Mrs. Cleary’s around four o’clock. There were many of the old faces but a whole lot of new ones as well. One petite stranger hugged them and chimed, “I’ve heard so much about you two. Y’all are legends.”

“Legends… well, how ’bout that, Therese, we’re legends?”

Therese asked, “And, what’s your name, sweetie?”

“Candace Hill.”

“Mississippi?”

“How did you know?”

“Please, Candace.”

Candace giggled.

Mrs. C, Daisy, and Birdie had pulled all the stops. A pooling of ration stamps produced a grand meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, squash, broad beans, spinach, and crescent rolls. Many of the girls were home for the holidays, so Mrs. Cleary shuffled people around to make a table for Carol, Therese, Abby, Penelope Crider, Mrs. Cleary, Birdie, and Daisy. Therese had rarely had Mrs. Cleary join them for a meal; the orphan girl was thrilled. Mrs. Cleary asked, “What are you smiling about, Therese?”

“Oh, it’s just that … you know … most orphans don’t even know their mother. I have two in my life.”

“Two?”

“Yes, Mrs. Liner and you, Mrs. C.”

“Bless your heart, darlin’.”

Mrs. Cleary patted Therese’s hand and smiled.

Abby and Penelope had slipped off to the kitchen with Birdie and Daisy. They marched in with two big cakes. One was coconut, and the other was chocolate. The room exploded with applause and cheers. Genevieve Cranell exclaimed, “We haven’t had cake in weeks!”

Carol and Therese and Carol stayed until nine and then begged departure, “We’ll be back tomorrow. We’re really beat.”

Genevieve hugged Carol and said, “Okay, you can go, but you must play for us tomorrow night.”

“I promise, sweetie.”

“Okay.”

Carol looked at her pretty face and thought about how much Richard Semco had loved her.

“What?”

“Nothing … how are you doing, G?”

“Pretty good, all things considered.”

“Well, good. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Therese and Carol exited and walked down the steps towards the curb and their car. Abby and Penelope were waiting by the car with their overnight cases. Abby asked, “Do you mind if P comes along?”

Surprised, Carol answered, “Oh… not at all. Y’all hop in. Therese glanced at Carol in the streetlight and rolled her eyes. Carol shrugged. Carol maneuvered out of the residential area and headed for downtown.

A few minutes into the drive, Therese glanced back and saw that Penelope and Abby were holding hands. “What the fuck?” she exclaimed.

Carol braked, thinking that Therese had spotted a jaywalker or stray animal about to cross in front of them. She patted her heart and pulled to the curb. “What is it, loony bird?”

“Look, they’re holding hands!”

Carol turned and gawked.

Abby smirked, “You twits! We’ll do ya one better. She laid a long kiss on Penelope's mouth.”

Carol started laughing. “Now, we’re all going to Hell!”

Therese turned to the front to process the situation. Abby leaned over the seat and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you going to be okay, T?”

Therese finally began to chuckle then laughed, “Then we’ll do you two one better.” She reached down into her blouse, fishing for her ring. “Carol?”

“Oh, yeah! Absolutely, dear!” she fumbled for hers as well.

They held up their rings in the dim light. Therese proclaimed, “We’re married!”

Abby’s jaw dropped, “No, shit!”

“We made our own vows and pledged our hearts to each other on the beach at Tybee Island.”

Penelope felt like she had walked into an alternate reality, “Where the heck is Tybee Island?”

Carol, Therese, and Abby all roared at the hapless Penelope. Abby kissed her again, then commanded, “C’mon, C, get this jalopy moving. I want to get drunk and have my way with this fledgling.”

Therese gasped, “Oh, my God, y’all haven’t done it yet?”

Penelope embarrassedly shook her head then murmured, “We’ve just made out… second base?”

Therese and Carol lost it.

Finally, they regained their composure. Carol mentioned, “Hey, speaking of getting drunk, the Battle House bar is about to close because of the curfew.”

Abby replied, “No worries, C, we each have a bottle in our cases, Abuelo and Jack. We can get some sodas from a machine for mixers.”

“Well then, let’s go,” cooed Carol.

Their luck held. The ten o’clock drinkers were filtering out of the hotel bar, so the four women slipped in among them and hit the elevator unnoticed. One wasted Naval officer was in the elevator. They steadied him to depart on his stop at the second floor. On the third, they exited. Carol handed Abby a key. “We’ll change into our jammies and open the adjoining door.”

Therese held the elevator door. “I got a bunch of change. I’ll go back down to the lobby and get some Cokes.”

Carol smiled, “Oh, yeah … I forgot. Thanks, sweetheart.”

Therese returned with four frosty cokes and a bucket of ice. She rushed down the hall to tap on their door. Therese heard Carol giggle, “Just a sec!” With a bump, the door opened.” I was in the middle of pulling off this goddamn hose when you knocked. I tripped.”

Therese slipped by her cackling. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

They decided to congregate in Carol and Therese’s room. Abby set up a bar on the dresser and soon had everybody with their respective rum and Coke or whiskey and Coke.

Carol and Therese had on pajamas, but Abby and Penelope had flannel knight gowns. Carol had brought along her little turntable and a few jazz records. Billie Holiday was singing “Body and Soul” while the women sat cross-legged on the bed drinking, dragging on cigarettes, and playing cards.

After a few, the emboldened Therese asked, “So Pen, when did you realize you were playing for our team?”

Carol lightly smacked her arm, “Christ, Therese!”

“What? I’m just addressing the elephant in the room.”

Penelope was fairly laced as well. She muttered, “It’s okay, Carol. I don’t know, T. I’ve had sex with a few guys over the years, but it always seemed like something was missing. I mean, I’ve never had a slammer. Oh, wait … correction … I’ve never had a slammer with a guy, but I gave myself an occasional slammer. I almost had a slammer making out with Abby on my bed last Sunday afternoon. We’d of gone further if it hadn’t been for some ruckus in the hall. Some bitch let her hot curler thingy catch on fire.”

Therese and Carol looked at Abby and asked as one, “Slammer?”

“Yep, that’s what she calls ’em.”

Therese slurred, “Well, I’ll be damned … ‘slammer’ … I like it.”

With a cigarette dangling out the side of her mouth, the dry Miss Aird commented, “Oh, Therese darling, you definitely like slammers.”

Abby almost fell off the bed, chortling. Penelope grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

After a few more drinks and hands of cards, Abby announced, “Well, I tell ya what, Miss Crider and I are going to retire. We’ll leave you two old married ladies to it.”

Therese stood and shot back, “Hey, y’all, I hope you have a slammin’ good time.”

Unfazed, Penelope floated to Therese, hugged her, then softly said, “Fuck you, Belivet.”

Therese grinned and looked at Carol shaking her head.

Therese saw their guests out, and after closing the adjoining door, turned to Carol. I’m going potty, and when I come back, I want a slammer.

Carol raced ahead of her to the bathroom. Therese tried to catch her, crying, “No, no, no!” She gave up and slumped on the bed. “Dang, Carol, I gotta go.”

“I’ll just be a sec.”

Carol emerged, and Therese darted past her.

Therese returned to find a nude Carol on the bed. She patted the mattress and said, “Come here, my little slam-mie. I’ll be your slam-mer.”

“Good one, Lawyer Aird.” Therese already had her pajama bottoms in her hand. She tossed them on the other bed.

Carol wooed, “Leave your top on. It’s just too fuckin’ cute. I’ll take it off ya at some point.”

They started kissing and fondling one another. Penelope sounded from the other room. Therese remarked, “Geez, that didn’t take long.”

“Well, she is, slammer deprived.”

“Not anymore.”

They chuckled as Carol slipped down to feast on Therese’s clitoris. Therese twitched.

Carol murmured, “Did I ever tell you how much I like eating your pussy?”

“Wh … wh … well, not in so many words. Bu … but, actions speak louder tha— oh, fuck!”

Therese rolled through multiple “slammers” in the wee hours.

*****

Carol drowsily awoke to the sound of a door softly closing. She looked up to find Therese, obviously showered, groomed, and dressed, entering the room. Therese carried a box from their favorite Mobile bakery, and she had a brown paper bag. Carol observed her love through one eye; the other was still buried in her pillow. Therese opened the bag and gingerly removed four cups of coffee from it.

Therese stepped to the adjoining doors, opened their side, and gently tapped their friends’ door twice. A moment later, Penelope opened hers and entered the room. She was in the same state of dress as Therese. They giggled and hugged.

Penelope saw the doughnuts and coffee and hunched her shoulders with excitement. They sat at the room’s little table near the window with food and drink in hand. They began to converse, not quite a whisper, but of shallow volume. Carol smiled and listened.

“Is Abby still sound asleep?”

“Like a log … has Carol shown any signs of life?”

“Therese chuckled, “No. Usually, she’s up first and has to roust me out.”

“What’s it like out there?”

“It’s chilly. I took the trolley to the bakery and wished I’d had my coat.”

“That looks like a warm sweater, though.”

“Oh, it is … I was fine.”

“It’s gorgeous … those colors … did you get it in Washington?”

“It’s actually my Christmas present from Carol.”

“How thoughtful!”

“That she is.”

“You two amaze me.”

“Your sweet.” After a few seconds, Therese asked, “How did it go with Abby?”

“Oh … well … that was the best time of my life last night.”

“Soft kisses?”

“Oh, my God! And … well … yeah.”

Therese giggled.

“Oh, you scamp… I can’t believe I’m telling you all this, but she did things to me I’d have never imagined. It’s like I was the center of her universe and she was totally committed to pleasing me beyond all else.”

“Yeah, we heard some of that.”

“Oh, my God … I’m sorry.”

“No, no … don’t be, but you need to keep that in mind for the future.”

“Therese, I felt clumsy when I tried to … you know—”

“Oh, I understand, sweetie. It will come with time. Just be yourself and take it slow. Go with what feels natural.”

“Thanks.” After another brief silence, Penelope noted, “These doughnuts are perfect. I can’t believe the coffee stayed hot on the trolley.”

“I waited to get the coffee. It came from the café in the lobby.”

“Good move, T!”

“Unfortunately, the late sleepers' coffee will be cold.”

“Mine won’t,” announced Carol as she flung back her covers and sat up on the side of the bed. She plodded off to the restroom.

Therese and Penelope sheepishly grinned at one another. “Do you think she was listening to us?” asked Penelope.

“Oh, yeah.”

Carol returned and went straight to Abby’s bedside. She gently shook her friend's shoulder. Abby, hon, rise, and shine … your coffee will get cold.

Abby sat up and looked precious with her disheveled hair and puffy eyes. Penelope moved to her and kissed her good morning.

Abby croaked, “What time is it?”

Penelope reported, “Eleven.”

“Holy Cow! I haven’t slept this late in 40 forevers.”

They took their time with their coffee, doughnuts, and cigarettes. Around two, they decided to walk along the bay. The mild hangovers had receded. The docks were bustling with activity on this blue-skied Wednesday.

The women stopped and turned to the railing as cheers began to emerge along both sides of the channel. They glanced up current and saw a large freighter making its way out of port. Abby beamed, “Therese, that’s one of ours! ADDSCO sent out a memo saying they would launch our latest Liberty Ship this week.” They watched the impressive vessel pass then were shocked by another volley of celebratory sounds. Car horns blared, and ship horns sounded to join with the applause and hoorahs of the thousands of onlookers. A warship was making its way to the Bay as well. Sleek and gray, she looked ready for war. Abby stated, “That’s one of Gulf Shipbuilding Company’s _Fletcher_ -class destroyers.”

Therese clapped and yelled, “A U-boat killer. Go get ‘em, Navy!”

Penelope, leaning on the railing next to Therese, asked her, “Do you think this damn war will ever be over, T?”

From behind them, Carol interjected, “Yes, it will, Pen. Right is on our side. We have much to do, but we will emerge from this victorious.”

Carol and Abby stepped up beside their girls and put their arms around them. Carol clasped Abby’s hand. Lost in all the hoopla, no onlooker noticed or cared.

The End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://imgur.com/6B4JOXD)   
> 
> 
> Dear Readers, 
> 
> Thank you for following along on my latest tale of our beloved Carol and Therese. While anything is possible, my closing line of "The End of the Beginning" is not the promise of a sequel. I added that as my way of implying that this story was just the beginning of a long and happy, yet surely challenging, life for our characters.
> 
> This is the first of my _Carol_ AUs of novel-length; it's over sixty thousand words. 
> 
> I have no idea what I will write about next. 
> 
> Enjoy the fall and winter, and stay safe.
> 
> Love,
> 
> Danny


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